TABLE 2. Characteristics of congenital anomaly surveillance systems in Latin America, and the baseline of microcephaly prevalence before 2015.
Country/Countries |
Name of surveillance program |
Year started |
Legislation/Funding |
Mandatory |
Sources of ascertainment |
Size and coverage |
Stillbirth included |
Verbatim description of congenital anomalies |
Baseline microcephaly per 10 000 births (before 2015) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina |
National Registry of Congenital Anomalies of Argentina (RENAC) |
2009 |
Funded by Ministry of Health of Argentina |
No |
The detection period lasts until discharge from the hospital |
300 000 annual births |
Yes |
Yes |
1.90a |
Brazil |
Live Birth Information System (SINASC) |
2001 |
Financed by Ministry of Health of Brazil; obligatory notification |
Yes |
Live birth certificate |
National |
No |
No |
0.57b |
Chile |
Regional Register Congenital Malformation of Maule Health Service |
2001 |
Based on ECLAMC and funded by the Maule Health Service |
No |
Pediatricians and midwives at the delivery units of participating hospitals |
Maule Region; 13 500 births annually |
Yes |
Yes |
1.4c |
Colombia |
Bogota Congenital Malformations Surveillance Program |
2006 |
Based on ECLAMC; founded by District Health Secretary of Bogotá and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana |
No |
Control-case methods same as the ECLAMC (nurses, gynecologists, neonatologists) |
104 700 births annually were monitored in the city of Bogotá |
Yes |
Yes |
2.5d |
Costa Rica |
Costa Rican Birth Defects Register Center |
1986 |
Founded by Public Health Ministry of Costa Rica; obligatory notification |
Yes |
Since 2009, the age of obligatory notification was extended to children under 1 year of age |
The program is population based |
Yes |
Yes |
4.31e |
Cuba |
Cuban Register of Congenital Malformation |
1985 |
Financed by Public Health Ministry of Cuba |
No |
Reports are obtained from hospitals all over Cuba |
96% of Cuban births |
Yes |
Yes |
0.22f |
Mexico |
Mexican Registry and Epidemiological Surveillance of External Congenital Malformations |
1978 |
Research grants |
No |
Reports are obtained from 21 hospitals in 11 cities of Mexico |
3.5% of all births in Mexico |
Yes |
Yes |
2.01f |
Uruguay |
National Registry of Congenital Defects and Rare Diseases (RNDCER) |
2011 |
Financed by Public Health Ministry of Uruguay; obligatory notification |
Yes |
Reports are obtained from different health professional and patient organizations |
The program is population based |
Yes |
Yes |
0.52g |
Various South American countries |
Latin American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformations (ECLAMC) |
1968 |
Research program |
No |
Collaborating pediatricians at the delivery units of participating hospitals |
Approximately 1% of the annual births of the South American countries |
Yes |
Yes |
4.83f |
Available from: http://www.msal.gob.ar/images/stories/bes/graficos/0000000581cnt-reporte_operativo_renac_2014.pdf Accessed 12 May 2016.
Available from SINASC, at: http://www2.datasus.gov.br/DATASUS/index.php?area=060702 Accessed 27 June 2016.
Personal communication (Drs. Aurora Canessa and Rosa Fajardo) (Maule Register – ECLAMC).
Available from: http://www.anomaliascongenitas.org/app/webroot/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Word-Anual-SEMIFINAL-.pdf Accessed 12 May 2016.
Available from: https://www.ministeriodesalud.go.cr/index.php/vigilancia-de-la-salud/normas-protocolos-y-guias/2995-protocolo-de-vigilancia-microcefalia-en-rn-el-marco-de-la-vigilancia-del-virus-del-zika-en-costa-rica-version-final-docx/file Accessed 12 May 2016.
Available from: http://www.icbdsr.org/filebank/documents/ar2005/Report2013.pdf Accessed 12 May 2016.
Available from: http://www.msp.gub.uy/marco-normativo/registro-nacional-de-defectos-cong%C3%A9nitos-y-enfermedades-raras Accessed 12 May 2016. (unpublished information: total births, 191 820 (2011-2014), with 10 cases reported).
Source: Prepared by the authors from the study results.