Evaluation of the Poliomyelitis and Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) Surveillance System in the State of São Paulo –Brazil, 2008

Abstract

 Polio is a viral disease resulting from the inflammatory destruction of motor neurons, characterized clinically by acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). The World Health Organization (WHO) signed a commitment to eradicate the disease worldwide since 1988, but today it remains endemic in four countries. Brazil has not reported cases since 1989 and in 1994 received the certification of polio free country. The Epidemiological Surveillance System of the PFA (EVS-PFA) aims to keep polio eradication. Evaluation was performed EVS-PFA using the methodology proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2001. The results indicate that the system is complex, flexible, provides regular data quality, acceptability, satisfactory, is sensitive, not timely, with high positive predictive value for case definition, representative of the injury and stable. Proved to be useful to achieve its goal of maintaining poliomyelitis caused by wild poliovirus eradicated in the country. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the state guide the timely and correct completion of the FIE PFA, emphasize the importance of timely collection of stool to permit the disposal of laboratory suspected cases of AFP, the east end of the appropriate epidemiological investigation in SinanNet, encourage the reporting of suspected cases of AFP that meet the case definitions and update annually the information about the disease in the CVE site.