Correlation and Trends in Primary Health Care and Family Health Strategy Coverage of Leprosy Detection in Minas Gerais

TL;DR

This study examines how primary health care and family health strategy coverage in Minas Gerais relates to leprosy detection and late diagnosis trends from 2010 to 2020.

Contribution

The study reveals that PHC and FHS expansion in Minas Gerais did not uniformly reduce late leprosy diagnoses.

Findings

PHC and FHS coverage expansion was not directly linked to a uniform reduction in late leprosy diagnosis.

The study highlights the need for improved surveillance and training to address persistent late diagnoses.

Heterogeneous disease distribution in Minas Gerais suggests localized interventions may be necessary.

Abstract

Leprosy, a chronic disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, continues to be a significant public health challenge in Brazil, which has a high rate of new cases and late diagnoses. This study investigates the relationship between Primary Health Care (PHC) and Family Health Strategy (FHS) coverage and leprosy detection in Minas Gerais, a state marked by heterogeneity in the distribution of the disease. This observational and ecological study analyzed data from 2010 to 2020, which were obtained from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) and the EGESTOR-AB portal. Using statistical methods, such as Pearson’s correlation and Prais–Winsten Linear Regression, trends and associations between coverage variables and leprosy indicators were assessed. This study found that PHC and FHS coverage expansion in Minas Gerais was not directly associated with a uniform reduction in late leprosy diagnosis. The findings indicate that the expansion of PHC and the FHS has not been accompanied by a homogeneous reduction in late diagnoses. It is therefore recommended that active surveillance actions be strengthened, that teams be continuously trained, and that strategies recommended by the WHO be integrated.

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