Alarming information on human leprosy cases in the Zona da Mata Rondoniense region, Western Amazon, Brazil

Abstract

The Zona da Mata Rondoniense region has become one of the territories with the highest human leprosy cases in Brazil and the worst situation in the Amazon region. In an attempt to control the disease, it is necessary to encourage the policy of decentralization of primary health care and the implementation of control actions. Therefore, the aimed of study was to evaluate prevalence of human leprosy in rural area of ​​the Rondônia state, specifically in the Zona da Mata Rondoniense region, between years 2016 and 2018, a period in which the highest number of cases of the disease were reported. Data regarding human leprosy in the aforementioned region were collected through SINAN-NET software and information on cases in course of treatment (CCT) in year 2018 through the epidemiology sector of health secretariats of the municipalities. Spatial distribution of CCTs was performed using ArcGis 10.5 software, and application of the Kernel density estimator. We identified 104 rural residents undergoing treatment for leprosy. The prevalence rate (PR) indicated for the Rondônia state TP ≅ 18.60 patients per 10,000 inhabitants. However, the Zona da Mata Rondoniense region TP ≅ 135 per 10,000 inhabitants, therefore it is the most endemic region in Rondônia state, Brazil. In view of annual PR in Brazil 10.0 to 19.9 per 10,000 inhabitants, surveyed by Ministry of Health, of PR for leprosy in the Zona da Mata Rondoniense region is much higher than the Brazilian national average, and therefore it can considered an alarming value because it is very high. It is concluded that there is a situation of high prevalence of leprosy.