DESAFIOS NO DIAGNÓSTICO PRECOCE DA HANSENÍASE NO BRASIL: CONTRIBUIÇÕES DA ENFERMAGEM PARA A VIGILÂNCIA E CONTROLE EPIDEMIOLÓGICO

Abstract

Introduction: late diagnosis, resulting in severe physical disabilities. Early identification of the disease is crucial to interrupting its chain of transmission, and primary health care is fundamental to this process. Nursing professionals play a central role in the surveillance and control of leprosy, although they face a number of obstacles in their day-to-day work in health units. Objective: To investigate the contemporary challenges in the early diagnosis of leprosy in Brazil and to examine the role of nursing professionals in health promotion and epidemiological control of this disease. Methods: The research adopted an exploratory and qualitative-descriptive approach, with a bibliographic review of the literature between 2020 and 2025. Three main databases were consulted: the Virtual Health Library (VHL), PubMed and Google Scholar. A total of 689 articles were analyzed, 483 in Google Scholar, 154 in VHL, 52 in PubMed, 645 articles were excluded, resulting in 44 articles used in the construction of the review. Results: The analysis showed that the main obstacles to early diagnosis are the difficulty professionals have in recognizing clinical signs, the lack of continuous training, team turnover and social stigma. In addition, service overload and low coverage of active search strategies contribute to underreporting. Conclusion: Early diagnosis of leprosy in Brazil faces a number of challenges, requiring interdisciplinary action and restructuring of the health system. The continuous training of primary care professionals and the implementation of effective active search strategies, such as awareness campaigns and systematic screening, are fundamental. Strengthening surveillance and reducing social stigma are also essential for improving disease control