Public health emergency due to rains and floods in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: an ecological study, 2024

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the public health impacts resulting from the natural disaster caused by heavy rainfall and flooding in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, in 2024. METHODS: This was a descriptive ecological study covering the period between April 29 and May 31, 2024. The units of analysis were the municipalities and the nine functional planning regions. The following were analyzed: number and proportion of municipalities with an emergency declaration; deaths, ill individuals, and injured individuals per 100,000 inhabitants; and displaced and homeless people per thousand inhabitants. RESULTS: Of the 497 municipalities in RS, 91.3% declared an emergency, with emphasis on regions R2 and R5, where all municipalities were affected. Regions R1 and R2 were the most impacted in terms of human harm, particularly regarding homelessness, reaching 116 and 92.9 per thousand inhabitants, respectively. Emergencies were more frequent in regions R6, R7, and R5. The spatial distribution reveals that the most affected municipalities are geographically close, especially in regions R1, R2, and R8. CONCLUSION: The unequal impacts across regions highlight the urgency of territorialized public policies, focused on prevention and emergency response. Strengthening risk governance and public health must occupy a central position in the climate agenda, promoting equity and resilience in the face of disasters.