HANSENÍASE NO ESTADO DO PARÁ: PERFIL CLÍNICO EPIDEMIOLÓGICO ANTES E DEPOIS DA COVID-19

Leprosy is an infectious and contagious disease with high incidence in various countries, including Brazil. Regarding the state of Pará, between 2017 and 2021, 14,339 cases of leprosy were diagnosed. However, it is important to recall the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020 and impacted healthcare services and the notification rates of leprosy. In this context, this work aims to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical-epidemiological profile of leprosy notifications in the state of Pará from 2017 to 2023. To this end, secondary data were used, collected from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS/TABNET), based on the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN), concerning the record of leprosy cases reported between 2017 and 2023 in the state of Pará, located in northern Brazil. It was found that the COVID-19 pandemic period had a negative impact on the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and management of leprosy transmission. COVID-19 highlighted pre-existing vulnerabilities, underscoring the need for public policies addressing leprosy.