Perspectivas de eliminação da hanseníase

Abstract

Advances in the therapy and the introduction of MDT, as well as changes in the concept of cure have led to a new reality in the century-old history of Hansen's disease in the world, reversing the flow of entry and discharge from the records, with a significant decrease of prevalence rates. In Brazil, after investments in service reorganization, with emphasis in personnel upgrading and the constant supply of medication, results were noticed up from 1991. In the State of São Paulo, historic prevalence series from 1924 to 1994 show a decrease since the seventies, with an even more marked decrease from 1991, with the introduction of MDT. Results from this new scheme in the world were reported in the 44th World Health Conference, in which member countries committed to eliminate Hansen's disease as a public health problem until the year 2000. Finally, documental aspects of these goals are also presented by Brazil and the State of São Paulo, identifying, as a major obstacle to prevalence reduction, in venunes of elimination, the discharge from records criteria accepted for cured cases, allowing for relapses.