Análise dos dados epidemiológicos dos casos de malária nos anos de 2001 e 2022

Abstract

Introduction: Malaria is a disease of global relevance, especially in endemic areas, caused by the Plasmodium parasite, transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. It is believed that malaria originated in the African continent and is transmitted by population movements. In Brazil, 99% of cases occur in the Legal Amazon, a region of high epidemiological relevance. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a reduction in cases in 2019 and 2020, due to the decrease in population mobility. Methodology: The study is a descriptive and retrospective epidemiological investigation, with a quantitative approach, focusing on malaria cases between 2001 and 2022, especially in relation to population mobility and deforestation in the Amazon. Data were collected from SIH/SUS and IBGE, using software such as Excel for data analysis and comparison. Although specific data on deforestation for these years are not available, studies on land use in the Amazon Biome were used. Results: The Amazon Biome has undergone significant changes in land use in the first decades of the 21st century, with a large reduction in forest cover, mainly for managed pastures. This transformation directly affects the dynamics of malaria transmission. In 2022, 85% of infection cases originated in the North Region, but most of those infected lived outside this region, especially in the Central-West Region. In 2001, 80% of cases also originated in the North, with the highest number of infected people in the Southeast Region. The increase in cases was 101.6% between 2001 and 2022, accompanying a population increase of 19.5%. Final Considerations: The data highlight that malaria is not a disease restricted to endemic regions, due to population mobility. Therefore, control strategies must consider migration between regions. Effective malaria control requires an integrated approach, focused on awareness and surveillance in areas of greatest migratory flow, in addition to coordinated actions between different spheres to prevent the spread of the disease.