National Health Policy and the COVID-19 pandemic on human schistosomiasis mansoni in Sergipe state, Northeastern Brazil

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted global attention, potentially contributing to the neglect of other diseases, such as schistosomiasis in endemic countries like Brazil. To understand how the pandemic may have influenced the control of schistosomiasis in Sergipe, the Brazilian state with the highest prevalence of the disease, we analyzed epidemiological and operational indicators using SISPCE data from 2010 to 2021. The average test rate was estimated, and a simple linear regression assuming years as an independent variable was employed. Two temporal trends were observed, the first showing stability in the number of tests and treatment of patients from 2010 to 2017, followed by a decline in these numbers between 2017 and 2021. While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted health services, the reduction in testing and treatment coverage for schistosomiasis was already evident since 2017. Political and economic factors, including decentralization policies and budget cuts in public health, appear to have played a more significant role in the decline of schistosomiasis control efforts than the pandemic itself. This decline could represent a barrier to the elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem considering the new recommendations from the WHO.