The objective of the present paper was to compare accessibility and utilisation of schistosomiasis diagnostic and
treatment services in a small village and the surrounding rural area in northern part of the state of Minas Gerais
Brazil. The study included 1,228 individuals: 935 central village residents and 293 rural residents of São Pedro do
Jequitinhonha.
Schistosoma mansoni
infection rates were significantly higher in the central village than in the rural
area during a survey in 2007 (44.3% and 23.5%, respectively) and during the 2002 schistosomiasis case-finding
campaign (33.1% and 26.5%, respectively) (p < 0.001). However, during the 2002-2006 period, only 23.7% of the
villagers and 27% of the rural residents obtained tests on their own from health centres, hospitals and private
clinics in various nearby towns. In 2007, 63% of the villagers and 70.5% of the rural residents reported never having
received treatment for schistosomiasis. This paper reveals considerable variation in the accessibility and
utilisation of schistosomiasis-related health services between the central village and the rural area. A combination of low
utilisation rates between 2002-2006 and persistently high
S. mansoni infection rates suggest that the schistosomiasis
control program must be more rapidly incorporated into the primary health services.
