The Family Health Strategy and Its Relevance to Geriatric Immunisation Campaigns Against COVID-19 in Brazil

Abstract

The pandemic caused by the emergence of the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the beginning of 2020 has set a new reality for public health systems, especially in terms of health care for older adults. In Brazil, there was a need to reinforce actions conceived within primary health care, precisely because it is the ideal field for the development of local, state and national immunisation campaigns against COVID-19. The geriatric immunisation campaign against COVID-19 was carried out through the Family Health Strategy, precisely because it is the preferred model of care. In a few months, a reduction in morbidity and mortality rates was observed in all Brazilian municipalities, which reinforced the importance of this model of management and health care for older persons.

Brazilian Primary Health Care strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

“…Thirty-two studies were experience reports [16][17][18][19][20]22,23,[25][26][27][28]30,31,35,[38][39][40][41]43,[46][47][48][50][51][52]54,55,57,60,61,63 . We also had three cross-sectional studies 28,32,56 , a documentary analysis 46 , a letter to the editor 35 , a cohort 38 , an essay 33 , five case studies 43,45,50,54,59 , a descriptive study 60 , a netnography 25 , and four publications had not indicated the type of study 21,24,37,63 . The studies were primarily published in 2020 17,<...…”

“…Sixteen studies were conducted in the Northeast 17,18,20,28,31,[42][43][44]47,48,50,51,54,56,60,61 , fourteen in the Southeast 19,21,26,29,30,[36][37][38]43,47,50,55,57 , nine in the So uth 16,22,25,32,41,55,58,60,62 , one in the Midwest 53 , and none in the North. Moreover, five publications had national coverage 24,27,35,46,63 , one study covered Latin America 33 , and one publication did not mention the location 37 .…”

“…The study population comprised health professionals 16,18,31,39,42,43,48,49,54,56,57,59,60,63,64 , community health workers 27,30 , nurses 25 , assigned population health services 28,38,40,44,51,59,62 , older adults 37,45,51 , and residents or undergraduate students 29,53,58 . Three studies did not inform the population 33,35,46 .…”

“…Based on the previous classification, the 49 studies revealed 226 actions (130 management and 96 clinical strategies). Most studies (n=30) combined management and clinical strategies (187 actions -104 management and 83 clinical) [16][17][18]21,22,25,26,[28][29][30][31][33][34][35][36]40,41,43,45,46,[48][49][50]52,53,56,57,59,63,64 , while 19 studies had unique strategies, ten of which were purely clinical 19,23,37,38,42,51,55,[60][61][62] and nine management 20,24,27,31,38,43,46,53,57 .…”

“…Regarding new actions, 24 publications reported the establishing workflo ws 16,17,22,24,25,[28][29][30][31][32][34][35][36]39,41,44,45,47,48,52,53,56,63,64 , 17 focused on continuing education actio ns 25,26,[28][29][30][31]35,36,40,43,45,47,48,52,54,56,57 , nine on workers' benefits 16,19,21,24,26,37,64 , six on expanding technical support 22,24,36,46...…”