DESAFIOS DA HANSENÍASE NO CONTEXTO BRASILEIRO COM FOCO NO NORDESTE: REVISÃO BIBLIOGRÁFICA

Leprosy is an infectious disease that affects the skin and peripheral nerves and is mainly transmitted by the respiratory route. Brazil has a high rate of leprosy cases, especially in the North and Northeast regions, due to socioeconomic factors and difficult access to treatment in remote areas. Therefore, the aim of this article is to review the epidemiologic and socioeconomic characteristics and public policies related to leprosy in the Northeast of Brazil. Therefore, it is an integrative literature review, using articles from Lilacs, Google Scholar and Scielo as research sources. Ten (10) articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected. The results showed that the disease is associated with poverty, low education and inadequate housing, factors that contribute to higher incidence and persistence of leprosy transmission.