Clima urbano e saúde: elementos climáticos e doenças respiratórias observadas no município de Belo Horizonte (MG) entre 2013 e 2014

Abstract

In the municipality of Belo Horizonte (MG), a high number of respiratory diseases is recorded every year, constituting one of the main causes of hospitalization in the Unique Health System. Given this scenario, this study had as aim to identify the relationship between climatic elements and the occurrence of respiratory diseases in the capital of Minas Gerais. To reach the proposed aim, records of five meteorological stations belonging to State Foundation for the Environment and four weather stations of the National Meteorology Institute were used, which are located within the municipality and / or near the municipal boundary. Data about air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, particulates (MP10) and carbon monoxide for the years 2013 and 2014 were analyzed. The atmospheric systems operating in the period were identified using the synoptic charts provided by Hydrography and Navigation Board from the Brazilian Navy and the satellite images available at the National Institute for Space Research. The information related to respiratory diseases was made available by Belo Horizonte Department of Health. This database includes the number of visits to public health units registered with International Code of Diseases (ICD) 10, from J00 to J99, for the female and male children from 0 to 5 years old. The interpolation, multicriteria analysis and data spatialization were done in ArcGis 10.3 software and through the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The results showed seasonal trends in the attendance peaks in the health units, especially on April. From that month the daily precipitation volume is reduced and there is a gradual increase in the amount of particulates and CO in the municipal atmosphere. It is also a period in which high daily thermal amplitudes are registered due to the participation of stable atmospheric systems, mainly the Atlantic South Anticyclone Subtropical and Atlantic Polar Air Mass. There is evidence that children suffer more under these weather conditions, increasing the risk of infection by viruses and bacteria in the respiratory system.