BVS IEC

Leprosy is still a big social and public health problem in many countries. Brazil has been for years in the second worldwide position in incidence and prevalence, after India in this ranking. Among the nearly five thousand Brazilian counties, 252 are priorities for actions to control and prevent of this disease. The highest prevalence occurs in the north region due to intense migratory flows and poverty. In the Amazon 35 percent of Brazilian cases are notified, currently the state of Pará is one of the major representative of the region. Leprosy associated with pregnancy is uncommon, with few and old publications about the theme. The Lucioºs phenomenon was observed as the most frequent association complication in the last trimester of pregnancy, when there is an increase in depression of cellular immunity. The aim of this study was to analyze the epidemiological situation os this association by counties and Integration Regions (IR) in Pará State, from 2007 to 2009. Epidemiological and socio-demographic data obtained from the database of the National System of Notifiable Diseases, of the Ministry of Health, Pará State Health Department and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics were analyzed. An epidemiologic indicator was developed to calculate the Detection Coefficient of the Association between Leprosy and Pregnancy (DCLP) also statistical and spatial analysis were performed through the percentile and Kernel methods in order to create the parameters of endemicity needed to evaluate the magnitude of the association and its distribution in each county of the state of Pará, taking into consideration socioeconomic characteristics. As a result it was observed that in 2007, 2008 and 2009 the DCLP was equal to 0,31 with 7 hyperendemic counties, 0,30 with 5 counties and 0,19 with 2 hyperendemic counties, respectively. Eldorado dos Carajás and Conceição do Araguaia, both in the southeast of the state had the highest coefficient of detection in the period... (AU)