Palmas, capital do estado do Tocantins, ambiente hiperendêmico para a hanseníase?

Abstract

This research aims to describe the emergence and evolution of leprosy in Palmas, TO, to characterize the constitution of an environment with hyperendemicity for this infectious disease in the 30 years of existence of this capital (1989-2019). For this, the operationalization of this research was organized through bibliographic, statistical, and documentary consultations, main sources of secondary data, and direct research. In Palmas, as well as in, leprosy has hyperendemic rates, with the transmission chain being persistently maintained. Despite the few data up to 2000, rates are evidenced by the demographic growth of this capital and by the inefficiency of control strategies, even with the therapeutic cure protocol available free of charge. Given this epidemiological condition, there was the implementation of the Leprosy Free Palms project in 2016, which had a positive impact on the increase in the number of diagnosed cases, on the increase in the evaluation of contacts, and active detection, in addition to other indicators. The epidemiological situation of the disease in Palmas is the result of failures in public health programs and social policies since its creation. Therefore, it is the social production of the endemic, that is, a neglected disease, which persists as a serious public health problem in Palmas and Tocantins.