Counting Deaths Differently: Brazil's New Method for Understanding Violence

Violence is a major concern in Brazil, but understanding the true extent of it has been tough. The Brazilian Mortality Information System (SIM) is a key source of data, but it's not always perfect. Researchers have been working on a new way to make sense of this information. They call it the GBD-Brazil method. This method helps fix the errors in the SIM data and gives a clearer picture of deaths caused by violence. Between 2010 and 2019, Brazil recorded a staggering 1. 34 million deaths due to external causes, plus another 171, 700 that were unclear. The new method corrects these unclear deaths and increases the valid number by 12. 2%. It's like finding missing pieces of a puzzle that make the whole picture clearer. This new method also allows for a better understanding of how different states are affected. For instance, it shows that falls are a bigger problem in the North and Northeast regions, while homicides are more serious in other states. This method is great because it's simple and can be used by anyone managing public health data. It ensures that the data is consistent and considers local factors, making it a reliable tool for those fighting against violence.