Health levels were studied through a historical series (1956-1965), in the Taquari-Antas region (State of Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil), composed of 50 cities with a population of nearly 1 300 000 inhabitants, about 20.0% of the population of the State. The fall of crude death rate and the increase of the mortaly ratio (above 55 years old) suggests a better improvement on the health levels and this trends was showed in the three compared areas (Taquari-Antas region, State of Rio Grande do Sul and Porto Alegre the capital of the State). NELSON DE MORAES' Curve (proportional death ratio by age group) showed a normal form of a "J", which demonstrated a regular health level of the studied area. The birth rate declined in the studied period of time. This fact is worth being considered in the maternal and child health planning. The infant mortality rate showed a decreasing in the 1959-60 years and from this time up to 1965 there was a fluctuation. However, a significative decrease or improvement was not observed. The main causes of death were Circulatory, Nervous System, Respiratory and Digestive System diseases. The ratio of 35% of death was classified as "ill defined" which means a lack of medical care in the studied region. From the total death, 3.3% were due to communicable disease, and among these diseases tuberculosis was responsible for about 50.0% of the death. When compared with Porto Alegre, the richest city of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, the lower proportion of death for communicable disease in the studied region can be explained in part due to the proportion of death classified as "ill defined" and to the migration of patients, since the health medical care resources in the studied area are lower than that one compared with the city of Porto Alegre.
Health levels; Vital statistics
