Importance of the Educational Program for Health at Work (PET-HEALTH) for reduction of infant mortality in a Brazilian City.

INTRODUCTION: Infant mortality is an important problem of developing countries. In the period from 2000 to 2006, under five years of age mortality rate decreased from 24.7 to 19.3/1000 live births. Despite this improvement, mortality rates are still higher than international standards and there is a significant disparity of rates among Brazilian regions. The rate in Northeast is twice the Brazilian average, and that is four levels higher than rates in developed countries. METHODS: Lectures directed to community and community health agents in a brazilian city made by medical students linked to Educational Program for Health Work (PET-Healthy), in 2011. RESULTS: Identification of possible socioeconomic factors behind the infant mortality rate might shed some light on the differences in the rates between Brazilian regions, and might help explain why infant mortality has fallen faster in some than others. With the aim of changing the high mortality levels in northeast's arid region, the Educational Program for Health Work (PET-Health) developed educational activities with the aim of reducing mortality by preventing actions which focus in an integrated treatment of child and its own family. With lectures directed to community and community health agents is possible encourage mothers to exclusive breast-feeding up to at least 6 months of age, guidance on oral health and hygiene and importance of immunization, for reducing morbimortality rates by immunepreventable diseases as polioviruses, hepatitis B, measles and others.. CONCLUSION: It should further strengthen the importance of medical students participation, because in addition to having more training in primary care, they will be prepared to deal with the most prevalent diseases, improving the quality and outcomes of primary care.