Public health programs applied to medical genetics in Brazil

Abstract

The participation of genetic defects in child death rate became more significant after the decline of the others death causes, due to the improvement in the social-economic conditions, getting the focus of health professionals. According to World Health Organization (WHO), every year, 7,6 million of children are born with a serious genetic defect. Brazil is heterogeneous in its child death rate because of the high social- economic differences and because of basic health programs impacts. This study aims to know and to describe the governmental and non-governmental public health programs in Brazil nowadays, more precisely in Bahia state, related to prevention and treatment of genetic diseases. Among the governmental actions related to prevention and monitoring of the genetic disease is the “Programa Nacional de Triagem Neonatal”, the program for folic acid flour enrichment and the implementation of “Campo 34” in the “Declaração Nacional de Nascidos Vivos”. Among the non-governmental actions related to the prevention and monitoring of the genetic diseases, will be discussed the “Estudo Colaborativo Latino Americano de Malformações Congênitas” and the “Sistema Nacional de Informações sobre Agentes Teratogênicos”. About the actions related to treatment of the genetic diseases the programs: “Programa de Osteogênese Imperfeita” and the “Doença de Gaucher” will be discussed.