Epidemiological profile of leprosy in a municipality of northeastern Brazil in the face of the challenges of those affected

Abstract

Objective: To characterize through data obtained from secondary sources the epidemiological profile of leprosy patients in Teresina, Piauí, from 2017 to 2021 in relation to challenges such as disabilities, involvement in children and the rate of deaths related to leprosy.  Methods: This is an observational, analytical study of the ecological type, through data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). The variables gender, gender, age, schooling, endemicity index, Physical Disability Degree (DPD), clinical forms and deaths were investigated, through the chi-square test, the Shapiro-wilk test and the odds ratio calculation.  Results: There was predominance of the clinical and epidemiological profile with predominantly male gender, color/mixed race, with educational level up to high school, with dimorphous clinical characteristics, however without predominant reactions, but with high DPD Index I.  Conclusion: Through the data collected in SINAN it was possible to identify that the population of Teresina currently faces challenges regarding the detection of leprosy in children, is oscillating parameters between hyperendemic and very high endemicity, 9% of the affected population developed some DPD and deaths with higher prevalence were identified in the elderly, however, a scarcity of large number of information from SINAN was observed.