The International Center for Equity in Health (ICEH) actively participated in the 12th Brazilian Congress of Epidemiology (12th EPI), held in Rio de Janeiro from November 24 to 27, 2024. Organized by the Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva (ABRASCO), the event gathered more than three thousand attendees. It promoted scientific discussions on topics such as racism and health, sustainable development, epidemiological training, health equity, among others.

ICEH researchers contributed significantly, presenting studies that addressed diverse topics, focusing on health inequalities in different contexts and countries.

Janaina Costa presented research on monitoring the weight of pregnant women living in low-income countries. The study's results showed that most women had insufficient weight for their gestational age.

Using data from Brazil, the same researcher presented another study on trends in coverage of reproductive health interventions, highlighting significant progress over the last 30 years but underscoring persistent inequalities affecting specific racial groups. The study revealed that Brazilian women from the poorest households, particularly Black and Brown women, are not adequately included in reproductive health interventions.

Francine Costa presented a study analyzing Demographic and Health Surveys data on immunization, assessing the potential impact of household mobile phones in reducing the number of children with zero doses of the DPT vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis). Based on five hypothetical scenarios, the analyses showed that the prevalence and inequalities of zero-DPT could be reduced through effective interventions using household mobile phones.

Luiza Silva presented research findings on dietary diversity among children in low- and middle-income countries. She highlighted that only one in three children reached the minimum expected diversity level, consuming at least five of eight food groups considered as a reference. Given the significant contrasts between countries, the study emphasized the importance of systematically monitoring dietary diversity indicators.

Evaluating maternal and newborn healthcare in low- and middle-income countries was the focus of Luisa Arroyave's study. Using a composite indicator that included antenatal care visits, institutional delivery, and postnatal care, the results showed positive trends in maternal and neonatal health, with regional and income group variations.

"The relationship between childbirth location and attendant: An analysis of 22 Sub-Saharan African countries" was the title of the study presented by Larissa Silva. The research concluded that reducing inadequate childbirth care requires substantial investment in tailored programs specific to each country's unique context. For instance, in Ghana, home births with unqualified professionals reach 86%.

Leonardo Ferreira addressed regional inequalities in vaccination coverage in Brazil, analyzing 20 years of data from the National Immunization Program. The results demonstrated a significant decline in vaccination coverage between 2004 and 2024 but an increase in regional inequalities, particularly for the BCG vaccine.

The wealth index evaluation in low- and middle-income countries was the subject of the research presented by Luis Paulo Vidaletti. Aiming to assess the index's adequacy, the study tested a new approach to mitigate wealth underestimation in rural areas within epidemiological studies, especially those addressing stratified inequality analyses by wealth.

In addition to the presented studies, the ICEH team conducted the course "Measuring Health Inequalities with Impact" training participants from institutions such as Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Parana and Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. The course covered   health equity concepts, data sources, indicators, and stratifiers, analyses methods, and effective result presentation.

Similarly, researchers Carolina Coll and Luisa Arroyave participated in the roundtable discussion "Monitoring Health Inequalities for Women and Children: Methodological Challenges," addressing the monitoring of intimate partner violence-related inequalities against women in low- and middle-income countries, as well as the use of combined indicators in evaluating health coverage and inequalities for women and children.

ICEH’s active and diverse participation in the 12th EPI highlighted strong engagement with the scientific community in collective health in Brazil. The interactions and experience exchange during the Congress will undoubtedly influence the development of new research and partnerships.