UM ESTUDO EPIDEMIOLÓGICO DAS NOTIFICAÇÕES DE CASOS DE HANSENÍASE NOS ÚLTIMOS 4 ANOS NO ESTADO DO PIAUÍ

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, which, despite being treatable, still represents a serious public health problem in Brazil, especially in regions marked by social inequalities and poor access to healthcare. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological profile of leprosy cases reported in the state of Piauí between 2020 and 2024, based on variables such as sex, race/color, and education. This is a quantitative, descriptive study based on secondary data extracted from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (Sinan Net), accessed through the DATASUS platform. The results revealed a total of 6,141 cases reported in the period, with a higher prevalence in males (71.94%), which reinforces the need for specific strategies aimed at men's health. In terms of race/color, the most affected groups were mixed race and black people, highlighting the persistence of racial inequalities in access to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Education proved to be an important social determinant of the disease: more than half of the cases occurred among illiterate individuals or those who had completed only the 4th grade of elementary school (1,618 cases). Among women, the highest number of notifications was among mixed race individuals who had completed high school (197 cases), while among men, mixed race individuals with high school education also led the statistics (176 cases). There was an absence of records among indigenous women and an absence of cases among illiterate Asian people or those with higher education, indicating possible gaps in coverage and underreporting in specific populations. The analysis indicates that leprosy remains a neglected disease, the determinants of which go beyond the biomedical field, involving social, racial, economic, and cultural factors. It is concluded that effective combating leprosy requires not only expanding diagnosis and treatment, but also intersectoral public policies that combat stigma, promote equity and guarantee full access to health for the most vulnerable populations.