In Rio's Rocinha Slum, One Street Shares Two Very Different Tuberculosis Experiences

11/21/2016 - 16h17

In the alley, open sewage. There are windowless houses and basements, with low light conditions and hardly any ventilation. Among the residents, many have already had or are being treated for tuberculosis.

50 meters from there, on the same road, 144 families were living under the same conditions until 2010.

After urbanization projects by PAC (Growth Acceleration Program), a stretch of land opened up and the hazardous homes were demolished.

This allowed natural light and air circulation to enter the newly built homes. Previously known as, "Tuberculosis alley," the site has nearly abolished incidences of the illness.

Both scenarios play out in Rocinha, Brazil's largest slum, located in Rio's south zone.

With an estimated population of more than 100,000 inhabitants, the slum carries one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis in Latin America (372 cases per 100,000 population), an index 11 times greater than the entire country of Brazil's rate (33.8 cases per 100,000 population).

An infectious disease triggered by a bacteria, tuberculosis is transmitted through the airways and spreads easily among large groups, high concentrations of poverty, environments with no access to natural light and poor air circulation.

Early findings from a UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) show that the chance of finding a cure increased up to 39% in areas covered by the FSP (Family Health Strategy) compared to those not covered.

Translated by SUGHEY RAMIREZ

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