Geospatialization of tuberculosis and income transfer programs among Indigenous peoples in an endemic territory

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the spatial pattern of tuberculosis in Indigenous peoples from the State of Pará and its correlation with income transfer. Methods: Ecological study, with 340 cases reported in Indigenous peoples in the State of Pará, Brazil, in the period 2016-2020. The study performed a descriptive analysis and calculation of incidence rates with smoothing by the local empirical Bayesian method. The Global Moran index assessed the autocorrelation of the rates with income transfer data, p<0,05. Results: The Marajó and metropolitan mesoregions of Belém had the highest tuberculosis rates, and a reduced number of people benefited from income transfer (high-low correlation). The study identified high rates, and a significant number of people benefited from financial aid (high correlation high), I=0.399, p=0.027 in the Southwest. Conclusions: The spatial autocorrelation between tuberculosis and access to income transfer programs constitutes a relevant subsidy for the formulation of social protection policies and may impact the disease control actions in Indigenous territories, valuing the epidemiological heterogeneity identified in the mesoregions.