The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the endemic course of Leprosy in Brazil and the need for public and social attention for especially vulnerable victims

Abstract

Despite the reduction in leprosy cases in recent decades, Brazil stands out as the only country in the Americas that has not yet reached the control target and also ranks second in the number of new cases worldwide. It is considered a neglected disease and, given the sad reality of underreporting of cases, the increase in cases considered not to be cured and aiming at an early diagnosis of the disease, public health policies prioritize the intensification of the active search for patients, who are even responsible for more than 50% of identified cases. The Coronavirus pandemic led governments to adopt strategic measures, such as social isolation, restriction of urban mobility, and the suspension of a wide range of services, which negatively impacted leprosy control strategies in Brazil. There was a reduction in the diagnosis of new cases in Brazil - especially among children under 15 years of age because the Coronavirus pandemic caused delays in the diagnosis, treatment and management of morbidities, in the prevention of disabilities and the discontinuity of disease monitoring throughout the country, increasing underreporting and hidden prevalence of leprosy, making the challenge even greater in achieving control goals.