Abstract

ASCURRA, Marta; GIMENEZ CABALLERO, Edgar  and  SAMUDIO, Margarita. Neonatal screening in Paraguay: Gaps for universal coverage. Mem. Inst. Investig. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2015, vol.13, n.2, pp.107-113. ISSN 1812-9528.  https://doi.org/10.18004/Mem.iics/1812-9528/2015.013(02)86-102.

Universal coverage in neonatal screening (NS) programs is an obligation of all coun-tries, providing the population screening services and treatment without the population incurring considerable expenses or direct payment at the time of the service. The objec-tive of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to determine the gaps in universal cov-erage of NS in Paraguay. The unit of analysis was the Program for Prevention of Cystic Fibrosis (PPFQRM). The three axes of universal health coverage (UHC) proposed by WHO were evaluated: amplitude or proportion of the population covered, depth or pathologies included in the ND, and financial protection level in addition to the gaps to achieve uni-versal coverage of the program. Data were extracted from the PPFQRM database, Department of Vital Statistics and the General Direction of Statistics, Surveys and Census. It was found that both the diagnostic studies and treatment are guaranteed by the Law 2138/2003. The amplitude had a significant increase of 0.8% in 1999 to 76.1% in 2014. There is a need to ample the pathologies included (primary congenital hypothyroidism,phenylketonuria, cystic fibrosis) in the NS of the PPFQRM. It was found that Paraguay is making great efforts and investments towards achieving universal coverage in the NS. Achieving universal NS will contribute to break the cycle of poverty considering that dis-ability causes poverty and disability poverty.

Keywords : neonatal detection; universal coverage; Paraguay; gaps.

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