Temporal trends and magnitude of work-related illness notifications in Brazil before and after the implementation of the National Worker Health Policy

To analyze the trends in work-related illness notifications indicators and the qualification of Worker Health information systems in Brazil before (2007–2011) and after the implementation of the National Policy on Occupational Health (PNSTT, acronym in portuguese) (2012–2023). This is an impact evaluation study of a public policy. The methodology involved time series analysis using data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan) and the Mortality Information System (SIM) between 2007 and 2023. Temporal trends were analyzed using generalized Prais-Winsten linear regression, both traditional and segmented. A comparison of indicators before and after the intervention was also performed using the Student’s t-test. There was a statistically significant increase in the notifications of work-related accidents (from 6.44 to 48.74 notified cases per 10,000 workers) and exogenous intoxications (from 0.02 to 10.52 notified cases per 100,000 workers), as well as a rise in notifications of work-related diseases (from 4.07 to 17.77 notified cases per 100,000 workers) between the pre- and post-PNSTT periods. Additionally, there was a decrease in notifications of work-related health issues with unknown occupation (from 11.90% to 5.33%) and an improvement in the completeness of work-related information on death certificates (from 35.19% to 45.04%). However, the recording of economic activity remained unchanged. A significant change was observed in the magnitude and trends of most indicators in the post-PNSTT period. Despite the study’s limitations, it is plausible to consider that the PNSTT influenced the observed outcomes by strengthening Worker Health surveillance and its integration with other health surveillance components.