02219nas a2200205   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653001600058100001300074700001500087700001500102700001300117700001300130700001300143245007700156300001000233490000700243520174900250022001401999       2023                            d  bElsevier BV10aDermatology1 aDultra M1 aFlorence T1 aGallotti S1 aBarros P1 aRangel T1 aPegas JR00a43790 Epidemiological Analysis Of Leprosy In Brazil In The Past 10 Years  aAB1610 v893 a<p>Despite the great worldwide progress after the introduction of multidrug therapy in the 1980s, leprosy is still considered a public health problem, which brings social, economic, and psychological impacts, associated with its great disabling potential. The analysis of epidemiological data is important for the implementation of public health policies that allow breaking the cycle of leprosy transmission and facilitating early diagnosis. This is an observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive epidemiological study. The data was obtained from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), the official information system for leprosy in the country. During this period, 338,904 cases of leprosy were reported. Most cases lived in the northeast region (42.65%). 2021 was the year with the lowest number of cases (6.65%), followed by 2020 (6.89%). Regarding the operational classification, 25.09% were classified as paucibacillary and 74.75% were classified as multibacillary. Most cases were borderline leprosy (46.93%). Most patients had mixed ethnicities (50.89%), had between 40 and 59 years (37.68%), were men (56.93%), and had incomplete elementary school (42.76%). The northeast region, the one with most cases, is considered the poorest in the country. The majority of multibacillary patients, associated with late diagnosis, maintains the transmission, and worsens neurological damage. The probability of occurrence and reactivation of leprosy in patients with a low level of education is greater, as this class has a low level of knowledge. Leprosy has a long incubation period, which increases in adult and elderly cases. Despite the improvements in leprosy control, the disease persists as a public health problem.</p>
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