CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS AND THE BRAZILIAN POPULATION IN THE LAST DECADES (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease related to poverty and considered a neglected disease by the World Health Organization, responsible for affecting about 100 endemic countries. Its most common presentations are visceral leishmaniasis and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). CL is a tropical disease that has significantly increased the number of people affected in recent decades, with an increase in global prevalence from 1990 to 2013 of 174.2%. Objective: To describe the incidence of hospitalizations for CL according to the different regions of Brazil between 2007 and 2021, analyzing the most affected groups, as well as the health policies implemented to control the disease in this period. Methodology: This is a descriptive observational study, whose data were collected by the DataSUS platform, as well as epidemiological bulletins from the Pan American Health Organization. The collection started from the Hospital Information System (SIH), through hospital morbidity data by place of residence between January 2007 and December 2021. Results and Discussion: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a disease still present and neglected in society Brazilian affecting mainly the North and Midwest regions; regions with higher incidence of cases and higher mortality rate. The region with the highest number of hospitalizations in the last decade is the Southeast with 36.4% of all cases. CL is characterized by affecting more men than women at a rate of 1.9:1, respectively. Furthermore, the peak of cases by age group affected is generally between 50 and 69, with a peculiarity for the Northeast that presents another peak in children aged 1 to 4 years. Conclusion: CL remains a neglected disease, affecting the most vulnerable population in the country, especially regions with little access to health and awareness of the severity of the disease.