Impactos da pandemia de covid-19 no perfil epidemiológico da tuberculose no Brasil

Tuberculosis is an infectious and contagious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, transmitted through airborne contact between individuals. For this research, databases such as DATASUS, TABNET, SINAN, and SIPNI were used, along with scientific articles found in Google Scholar, PubMed, and SciELO. The study covered the period from 2014 to 2024, and the results showed that 1,037,732 cases of tuberculosis were confirmed in Brazil during this period. The year 2023 recorded the highest number of cases, with the Southeast region being the most affected, followed by the Northeast region. The most prevalent age group was 25 to 34 years. Regarding vaccination coverage, BCG application showed a progressive decrease from 2018 to 2021, with the Central-West region having the lowest rates. It was also found that the majority of patients who received proper treatment progressed to cure, although a significant percentage abandoned treatment. To assess whether the differences between years and regions were statistically significant, a chi-square test of independence (p < 0.05) was performed, confirming significant variations in the temporal and regional distributions of cases. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted health actions, leading to low vaccination coverage and poor treatment adherence, factors that may result in therapeutic failure and compromise international tuberculosis control goals.