Para além dos dados e dos sistemas de informação: avaliação dos dados de notificação relativos aos acidentes por animais peçonhentos relacionados ao trabalho, Ceará - 2010 a 2023

Abstract

This work was developed within the Professional Master’s Program in Public Policy Evaluation (MAPP) at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC). Public policies aimed at workers’ health are essential to ensure safe and healthy working conditions. Collaboration between government, employers, and workers is indispensable for the effective implementation of such policies and for promoting safer and healthier work environments. The objective of this research was to assess the profile of work-related accidents caused by venomous animals recorded in the health surveillance information system from 2010 to 2023 in the state of Ceará, Brazil. The methodology consisted of an in-depth evaluation with a quantitative, descriptive, and retrospective approach, based on bibliographic and documentary research on public policies, legislation, and occupational health surveillance manuals. Ceará is composed of 184 municipalities, organized into five Regional Health Superintendencies (SRS): Fortaleza, North, East Coast, Central Hinterland, and Cariri. The study was based on secondary data extracted from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), publicly available through the DATASUS Tabnet platform. The study population comprised all cases of work-related accidents caused by venomous animals reported in SINAN, involving residents of Ceará’s 184 municipalities. The sample included notification forms filled out by health surveillance professionals at health facilities at the time of the accidents. During the analyzed period, 89,628 cases of accidents caused by venomous animals were recorded in Ceará. Of these, 5,778 cases (6.44%) were classified as work-related and were included in the analysis. The findings revealed a predominance of accidents among men (79.2%), young adults (15–59 years) (79.34%), individuals identified as brown/pardo (71.4%), and informal rural workers (65–70%), pointing to structural inequalities in workers’ health. The analysis identified weaknesses in the completeness of key fields such as work-relatedness, race/color, occupation, and use of antivenom, highlighting the need for improved quality of notifications. Furthermore, territorial coverage of occupational health surveillance was found to be unequal, with underreporting concentrated in smaller municipalities. It is concluded that notification data are strategic tools for planning preventive actions; however, their full use depends on strengthening surveillance, intersectoral integration, and valuing care in underserved territories, emphasizing the role of health professionals in ensuring accurate completion of notification forms to facilitate the formulation of public policies. This study makes an innovative contribution by providing, for the first time in Ceará, an in-depth analysis of work-related accidents caused by venomous animals, reinforcing the importance of improving notification systems and aligning public policies with the real needs of the working population.