Geoinformation Applied to Indigenous Oral Health
1
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
2
Faculty of Nutrition, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceio, Brazil
3
Collective Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Ministry of Health, Recife, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1946
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
The relationship between geographic space and public health shows that spatial factors impact multiple aspects of population health, such as residents' health conditions, access to health services, and the location of social facilities and infrastructure. Understanding these elements is essential for planning effective health promotion and care actions, in line with the principles of decentralisation and territorialisation of the Unified Health System (SUS)1. The objective of the study is to characterize the indigenous population Xukuru do Ororubá, Pesqueira, Pernambuco, Brazil, regarding their use of dental services through geoinformation tools.
METHODS:
In 2018, spatial/geographic coordinates were collected using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices at the locations of indigenous households, villages, and socio-environmental regions, as well as at the health unit where indigenous people received dental care.
RESULTS:
The Xukuru do Ororubá Territory, which covers 27,550 hectares, is served by three primary care oral health teams (Teams I, II, and III), each consisting of a dentist and a dental assistant (ASB). These teams, linked to the Indigenous Health Secretariat (SESAI), provide dental care to 7,857 people distributed across three socio-environmental regions: Ribeira, Agreste, and Serra. The professionals are organised in a rotation system to work in seven different health units equipped with dental offices. The Agreste region has Team I as its reference, but it is the only region with a single dental office, requiring all residents to travel to the village of Cimbres for dental care. The distance of this trip can exceed 6 kilometres in rural locations, where public transport is unavailable.
CONCLUSIONS:
The application of geoinformation tools to data on the Xukuru do Ororubá indigenous population has made it possible to identify inequalities in access to and effectiveness of oral health actions. These inequalities indicate priorities that must be addressed by the oral health care network.
The relationship between geographic space and public health shows that spatial factors impact multiple aspects of population health, such as residents' health conditions, access to health services, and the location of social facilities and infrastructure. Understanding these elements is essential for planning effective health promotion and care actions, in line with the principles of decentralisation and territorialisation of the Unified Health System (SUS)1. The objective of the study is to characterize the indigenous population Xukuru do Ororubá, Pesqueira, Pernambuco, Brazil, regarding their use of dental services through geoinformation tools.
METHODS:
In 2018, spatial/geographic coordinates were collected using Global Positioning System (GPS) devices at the locations of indigenous households, villages, and socio-environmental regions, as well as at the health unit where indigenous people received dental care.
RESULTS:
The Xukuru do Ororubá Territory, which covers 27,550 hectares, is served by three primary care oral health teams (Teams I, II, and III), each consisting of a dentist and a dental assistant (ASB). These teams, linked to the Indigenous Health Secretariat (SESAI), provide dental care to 7,857 people distributed across three socio-environmental regions: Ribeira, Agreste, and Serra. The professionals are organised in a rotation system to work in seven different health units equipped with dental offices. The Agreste region has Team I as its reference, but it is the only region with a single dental office, requiring all residents to travel to the village of Cimbres for dental care. The distance of this trip can exceed 6 kilometres in rural locations, where public transport is unavailable.
CONCLUSIONS:
The application of geoinformation tools to data on the Xukuru do Ororubá indigenous population has made it possible to identify inequalities in access to and effectiveness of oral health actions. These inequalities indicate priorities that must be addressed by the oral health care network.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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