Barriers and challenges in treatment adhesion to Hansen's disease in Brazil: a scoping review

Leprosy is one of the oldest diseases in human history and still has a high incidence in developing countries, such as Brazil. The disease is capable of damaging the skin and peripheral nerves, as well as causing permanent physical disabilities. However, it is known in the literature that the most difficulty in adhering to treatment are factors linked to the social stigma of the disease, including socioeconomic and cultural barriers. Therefore, this scoping review aims to identify the main challenges to adherence to leprosy treatment in Brazil. It is planned to carry out a search in the electronic databases of the Virtual Health Library (BVS) and PubMed, using the descriptors: “Adherence to treatment” AND “Leprosy” AND “Adults”, with inclusion criteria of studies in Portuguese or English, in the last 10 years. Results are expected to indicate the factors that can cause difficulty in adhering to treatment.