PERFIL EPIDEMIOLÓGICO DA TUBERCULOSE NA REGIÃO DO CARIRI CEARENSE ENTRE 2009 E 2018

INTRODUCTION: Tuberculosis remains one of the main public health problems. Despite the expressive number of epidemiological studies dedicated to tuberculosis, the scientific literature still presents significant gaps regarding the incidence of the disease, especially in the southern region of the state. Thus, the present study aims to outline the epidemiological profile of tuberculosis in the Cariri Planning Region of Ceará. METHODOLOGY: An analysis was conducted of the records of new confirmed cases of tuberculosis from 2009 to 2018 in the Cariri Planning Region, made available by the Department of Information and Informatics of the Unified Health System. To assess temporal trends, the data were modeled using Prais-Winsten regression. Subsequently, the Annual Percent Change (APC) was calculated, which estimates, as a percentage, the annual increase or decrease in TB incidence rates in cities and by age group. RESULTS: From 2009 to 2018, 2,223 cases of tuberculosis were confirmed in the Cariri Planning Region. The disease predominantly affected men, individuals with lower education levels, and residents of urban areas. A declining trend in incidence was identified in the cities of Campos Sales (APC = -20.1%, p<0.05), Aurora (APC = -16.9%, p<0.05), Lavras da Mangabeira (APC = -12.3%, p<0.05), and Jardim (APC = -10.5%, p<0.05) and age groups, especially among children and women. DISCUSSION: The results suggest a pattern of increasing incidence with age and a greater vulnerability of disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. The decline in incidence in some age groups may be related to the success of vaccination programs and greater access to health services by women. CONCLUSION: Although tuberculosis is relatively controlled in the region, the continuity of public policies to further reduce the incidence of the disease, especially among vulnerable groups, is essential.