Efeito da Estratégia Saúde da Família sobre o teste do pezinho na Bahia entre os anos de 2011 e 2018.

Abstract

In this work, we sought to investigate the possible effect of the Family Health Strategy (ESF) on the National Neonatal Screening Program in Bahia in a particular aspect, namely, the moment of collection of the first sample of the heel prick test, recommended that give between the 3rd and 5th days of the newborn's life according to the Ministry of Health.For the investigation, a data analysis was carried out in a longitudinal panel that evaluated the performance of health units in collecting the first exam sample in relation to the existence or not of an ESF team working in the establishment. The research found an effect of improvement in the average number of days on which collection was carried out, with this evolution directly related to the time in which the health unit had ESF teams in operation. Furthermore, the presence of the ESF in the health unit was related to an increased probability that the test collection would be carried out within the recommended period. The magnitude of this effect, however, was shown to be practically null within a context of public health intervention, since, for If the average collection time was reduced by one day, the health establishment would need approximately six years of operation as a Family Health Strategy. It is proposed that the research result does not highlight an intrinsic limitation of the ESF's reach; on the contrary, it can point to the performance of the Family Health Strategy below its potential, as well as revealing possible flaws in programmatic actions, such as visiting newborns in the first week after birth.