Impact of the Staying Alive Program on the reduction of homicides in a community in Belo Horizonte.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a homicide prevention program.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was performed using time series analysis of homicide incidence in the Morro das Pedras area in the city of Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil, from 2002 to 2006. The number of homicides occurring in this location was compared to other violent and non-violent favelas and to other neighborhoods of the city, during each of the Program phases.