[Epidemiologic study of leprosy in Brazil: reflections on elimination goalsEstudio epidemiológico de la lepra en el Brasil: reflexión sobre las metas de eliminación].

OBJECTIVE

To describe the epidemiological profile of leprosy in Brazil in the period from 2005 to 2015 and describe the behavior of leprosy indicators in relation to the goals established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for elimination of this disease.

METHOD

The study was performed using data from the Ministry of Health websites. The following indicators were assessed: prevalence, overall coefficient of detection, coefficient of detection according to age (< 15 years or ≥ 15 years), cure rate, and proportion of cases with WHO grade 2 disability.

RESULTS

During the study period, the prevalence of leprosy cases was stable at a medium level (1.00 to 4.99/10 000 population), with decreasing national trend. However, the national trend was not observed in the Northeast, North, and Midwest regions. The coefficient of new cases in individuals < 15 years of age decreased from 2005 to 2015 in all regions. A marked decrease was detected in the proportion of new cases with grade 2 disability, especially in the South and Southeast. The North was the only region with increase in this indicator. The rate of leprosy cure in Brazil has not changed since 2005, having remained within the 75-90% range regardless of age group.

CONCLUSION

There was improvement (reduction) in the main leprosy indicators in Brazil from 2005 to 2015. Even though Brazil did not eradicate leprosy, this goal will likely be reached in 2020 if the current parameters are maintained. Leprosy control policies should be adapted to the reality of each Brazilian region, given the heterogeneous distribution of prevalence.