Information technologies use for the sustainability of leprosy elimination in Brazil

The decision-making process requires correct and timely information. The aspects of the information system in epidemiological surveillance system have to following the progress of Information Technology (IT). This paper shows seven solutions of the Information Technology point of view (IT), support technically and financially by PAHO, that cooperates with the perspective of better management and sustainment Leprosy Elimination activities in Brazil. 1) Home-page: The PAHO Brazil leprosy homepage can be consulted in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, http://www.paho.org/Project.asp?SEL=TP & LNG=ENG & CD=LEPRO, have been important means of updating and disseminating information about the cooperation activities; 2)Leprosy database in the Internet: The SINAN Leprosy database of Brazilian’s Ministry of Health, available in the Internet http://hanseniase.datasus.gov.br/hans/hans.htm, enables users to create their own queries to Tabnet Leprosy and makes it easier to understand and use the data; 3) HANSWIN - Software developed to identify the inaccuracy datas and updating the files, as well as two-way feedback between the states and municipalities; 4) Presential and Distance training - Training material through workshops on Practices and Instruments for the Situational Analysis of the Leprosy Endemic, which trained the officers responsible for the information in 25 of the 27 states with a self-instruction manual http://www.paho.org/Portuguese/AD/DPC/CD/lep-auto-ins trucao.htm;5) The Leprosy Elimination Network – is being designed with CONASEMS to provide morbidities information to each municipal manager to motivate integration into basic health care of the diagnose and treatment; 6) Telemedicine - is used as distant support to diagnosis and treatment, as well as medical education. The Cyberambulatory and Leprosy Distance Education Center will increase access and contribute to the process of integrating leprosy into basic health care and teach different communities as well as professionals working in the pediatrics, gynecology and neurology. Simultaneously incorporating also includes a modern 3D computational graphics tools to the education approach. – the Virtual man;7) Collaborative site - ELEP-INFO is a collaborative space where all these IT are and where various partners, can participate together in the elimination actions in a synchronized manner (http://shp.paho.org/DPC/cd/elep-info/default.aspx[ [/a>)