Abstract
Brazil is the second nation in absolute number of new cases of leprosy in the world. The country presents many regions highly endemic to the disease, as is the case of the Goiás. The present study aims to analyze the temporal trends of leprosy indicators in Goiás between 2006 and 2015. This study showed a significant trend of decline for the coefficient of detection. Although the central-western region of the state presented the highest absolute number of cases, the Northeast of the state presents the worst epidemiological situation, with an increase in the number of cases of patients with physical disabilities and those under 14 years of age. The data also showed that there is an increase in the cases of patients with physical deformities in almost all macroregions of the state, indicative of late diagnosis. It is very important that there is a more effective and continuous training of the health professionals of the non-centralized units, for a real control of leprosy as a public health problem in the state. In addition, special attention should be given to the poorer regions of the state, which have shown a tendency to increase the diagnosis of patients younger than 14 years and with physical disabilities caused by leprosy.
Highlights
IntroductionLeprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae
Brazil is the second nation in absolute number of new cases of leprosy in the world
Leprosy persists as a serious public health problem in the state, since the number of new cases with some degree of physical incapacity is still very high
Summary
Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. In 1991, WHO called for the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in the year 2000, defined as the reduction of prevalence in 1 case per 10,000 population[2] During this period the leprosy prevalence fell from 21.1 per 10,000 inhabitants in 1983 to 0.24 per 10,000 inhabitants in 2000. Three decades after the introduction of MDT (multidrug therapy) the cases of leprosy have declined significantly in the world and the goal established by WHO has been reached by most countries This decline occurred due to the generalized use of MDT, in addition to nationwide campaigns and an improvement in the quality of health services directed to leprosy treatment in endemic countries[3,4]
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