Violence and traffic accidents will be discussed during MEDTROP 2016

Tropical Medicine has grown and expanded beyond tropical diseases, approaching themes related to demographic transition, climate changes and diseases, traffic accidents, violence and others

When talking about Tropical Medicine, the idea of infectious diseases is brought. The field, however, is beyond and addresses daily problems in the least developed countries. For this reason, in 2016, the Congress of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine (MEDTROP), that will take place in Maceio, Alagoas, will also outline social aspects that affect Brazilians daily routine, such as violence, for example.

Our goal is to build a schedule related to tropical issues, but not necessarily infectious. We also want to bring this connotation, since unlike developed countries, tropical countries have been facing problems common to our region, such as violence and traffic accidents, explains Dr. Fernando de Araújo Pedrosa PhD in Tropical Medicine and chair of MEDTROP 2016.

Violence is probably one of the most delicate themes in Brazil. While in Iraq, a country struck by the brutality of extremist groups as ISIS, 12 thousand people die every year, in Brazil, firearms alone claim over 40 thousand lives annually. In Maceió, the numbers are even more alarming: death rates are 55 people for every 100 thousand inhabitants, the highest in the country, according to UNESCOs 2015 Violence Map, which uses data from 2012.

Deaths in traffic are also concerning, even after a decrease in the number of victims. According to the Brazils Unified Health System (SUS), in 2013 40.5 thousand people died from this kind of accident. Among the deaths, 29% were motorcyclists. Motorcycle accidents, by the way, are among the worst Brazilian epidemics: during last years first trimester alone, 120 thousand young people became disabled for this reason.

In a letter about next years MEDTROP, doctor Fernando explained these debates will be brought to the congress because they are a worrying reality in tropical climate regions. Tropical Medicine has grown by not remaining in the tropical diseases field, but also approaching issues related to demographic transition, climate changes and diseases, traffic accidents, violence and others we cant turn our back on, because they sharply strike tropical countries and thus must be part of our discussions, he said.

He also stated that Alagoas state, one of the poorest in the Country, is part of this context, suffering from old, new and persistent diseases and also from financial resources.

Dr. Fernando said the 2016 MEDTROP website is under construction and will be very dynamic. Soon we will be disclosing the registration values and payment methods, he adds while saying a mechanism for installments and discounts for early registrations is being developed.

Schistosomiasis

The called persistend diseases will also be in the center of 2016 MEDTROPs debates. We have focused on these diseases, typical from the Northeast region, as schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis and others that, although already presenting a negative impact, still claim lives, as Chagas disease, explained doctor Fernando.

Schistosomiasis is one of the main diseases that strike Brazils Northeast, where the incidence is straightly associated to transmitter molluscs. Estimates point that 25 million people in the Country currently live in areas at risk of developing the disease, according to the Health Ministry.…