Epidemiological analysis of leprosy in children under 15 years of age in Brazilian regions: an ecological study

Abstract

Introduction: Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae, which mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves, which can be spread mainly through the respiratory tract, such as coughs and sneezes from untreated infected people. In Brazil, despite advances in treatment and awareness, leprosy still represents a public health challenge, especially in more socioeconomically disadvantaged regions, with the stigma associated with the disease and the lack of access to adequate care being an obstacle to its total control. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze and compare the prevalence of leprosy cases in children under 15 years of age in Brazilian regions, from 2019 to 2023. Methods: This is a quantitative observational cross-sectional study carried out using data from ( SIH/SUS) and DATASUS. In this study, the prevalence between genders (male and female) was not observed, as well as the differentiation regarding the number of lesions that manifest the disease (paucibacillary and multibacillary) and the proportion of disease cure. Results: In the years 2019 and 2023, there were a total of 5,216 notifications of new cases in children under 15 years of age in Brazil. The northeast region leads with 2,492 cases, followed by the north region with (1,265), central-west (852), southeast (537) and south (65). During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant drop in the number of notifications in all Brazilian regions. Conclusion: The results obtained indicate that there was a drop in leprosy cases in children under 15 years of age during the period from 2019 to 2023, especially in 2020, however, some Brazilian regions still have high rates, showing the importance of inserting strategies effective for its elimination and health promotion.