Epidemiological Profile of Leprosy in the State of Pará between the Years 2019 and 2023

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to analyze the epidemiological profile of reported leprosy cases in the state of Pará between the years 2019 and 2023. Methods: Regarding methodological aspects, this is an epidemiological, retrospective, quantitative, cross-sectional, observational, and descriptive study. Data were collected from the Notifiable Diseases Information System of the Department of Health Information (SINAN/DATASUS). The following variables were obtained: age group, sex, education level, self-declared race/color, reported clinical form, reported disability assessment, diagnosed operational classification, and municipality of notification. Results: The results showed that, during the analyzed period, there was a predominance of leprosy cases in patients of mixed race, accounting for 73.4% of the total cases, and in males, with 65% of cases. The dimorphic clinical form was the most common (55.3%), and most patients were diagnosed in the multibacillary phase (82.8%), with a physical disability grade of 0 (53.4%). In terms of sociodemographic distribution, the municipality of Marituba had the highest number of reported cases, representing 13.4% of the total.  Conclusion: The analysis indicated a relationship between socioeconomic factors, low education levels, and the prevalence of leprosy, especially among men. The COVID-19 pandemic possibly affected case reporting between 2020 and 2021, leading to potential underreporting. The predominance of the multibacillary form and the high percentage of cases in men may suggest limitations in early diagnosis and health policies aimed at controlling leprosy in the state.