Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schistosomiasis control in an endemic region of the Northeastern Brazil, 2020-2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17058/reci.v15i1.19373Keywords:
COVID-19, Neglected Diseases, Public Health Surveillance, SchistosomiasisAbstract
Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the fight against neglected diseases worldwide, including schistosomiasis. In the Brazilian context, schistosomiasis is an endemic disease with an impact mainly in the Northeastern region. Here, this study aims to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiological indicators of the Schistosomiasis Control Program (PCE) in an endemic area in the Northeast Brazil in 2020 and 2021. Methods: This is a population-based ecological study conducted in the State of Pernambuco, based on data from the PCE. Data was extracted from the Schistosomiasis Control Program Information System (SISPCE). The following indicators were analyzed: population reached, number of tests performed, positivity rate, and percentage of people treated. Percentage change was used to compare the observed value to the expected value, according to the pre-pandemic period (2015-2019). Results: There was a decrease in the population reached (71.3% in 2020 and 64.1% in 2021). The tests performed decreased from 73.8% in 2020 to 66.5% in 2021. The State positivity rate for schistosomiasis decreased by 32.8% in 2020 and 6.4% in 2021. The rate of treated individuals increased by 5.8% in 2020 and decreased by 25.1% in 2021. Conclusion: The schistosomiasis control program in Pernambuco was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as observed in the variations of the variables analyzed. It is recommended that this program be strengthened to ensure active investigation, epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis and treatment of schistosomiasis in the study area.
Downloads
References
World Health Organization (WHO). Schistosomiasis [Internet]. World Health Organization: WHO; 2019. [citado 2023 nov 19]. Disponível em: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schistosomiasis
Cruz JIN, Salazar GO, La Corte R. Retrocesso do Programa de Controle da Esquistossomose no estado de maior prevalência da doença no Brasil. Rev Pan Amaz Saude 2020; 11:e202000567-e-ISSN:2176-6223. . http://dx.doi.org/10.5123/s2176-6223202000567
World Health Organization (WHO) | Regional Office for Africa. Opening statement, COVID-19 Press Conference [Internet]. World Health Organization: WHO; 2020. [citado 2023 nov 19].Disponível em: https://www.afro.who.int/regional-director/speeches-messages/opening-statement-covid-19-press-conference-5-november-2020
Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretária de Vigilância em Saúde. Departamento de Vigilância das Doenças Transmissíveis. Vigilância da Esquistossomose Mansoni 4. ed. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde 2014. https://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/vigilancia_esquistossome_mansoni_diretrizes_tecnicas.pdf
Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretária de Vigilância em Saúde. Departamento de Imunização e Doenças Transmissíveis. Boletim Epidemiológico - Doenças tropicais negligenciadas Número Especial. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde 2021.
Pernambuco. Secretaria Estadual de Saúde de Pernambuco. Boletim Epidemiológico - Esquistossomose. Recife: Secretaria Estadual de Saúde de Pernambuco 2018.
Silva BE, Silva JJ, Silva LG. Importância do acompanhamento e das intervenções relacionadas ao novo Corona Vírus (Sars-Cov-2), desde sua descoberta até os dias atuais – uma revisão da literatura. Res., Soc. Dev. 2021; 10(14):e579101422635. https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i14.22635
Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS/OMS). Brasil confirma primeiro caso de infecção pelo novo coronavírus [Internet]. Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde: OPAS/OMS; 2020. [citado 2023 nov 2019]. Disponível em: https://www.paho.org/pt/node/69303
Souza MR, Paz WS, Sales VBDS, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Brazil: Is the WHO End TB Strategy at Risk. Front Pharmacol 2022. 13: 891711 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.891711
Simões D, Stengaard AR, Combs L, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on testing services for HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections in the WHO European Region. March to August 2020. Euro Surveill. 2020;25(47):2001943. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.es.2020.25.47.2001943
Carmo RF, Silva Júnior JVJ, Pastor AF, et al. Spatiotemporal dynamics, risk areas and social determinants of dengue Open Access in Northeastern Brazil, 2014–2017: an ecological study. Infect Dis Poverty 2020; 9:153. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-020-00772-6
Dantas NM, Andrade LA, Paz WS, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the actions of the Schistosomiasis Control Program in an endemic area in Northeastern Brazil. Acta Trop 2023; 240:106859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106859
Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). População [Internet]. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Pesquisa: IBGE; 2022. [citado 2023 nov 19]. Disponível em: https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/brasil/pe/panorama
Pernambuco. Secretaria de Saúde do Estado de Pernambuco. Secretaria Executiva de Regulação em Saúde. Plano Diretor de Regionalização. Recife: Secretaria de Saúde do Estado de Pernambuco 2011.
Pernambuco. Secretaria Estadual de Saúde. Secretaria Executiva de Vigilância em Saúde. Programa de Enfrentamento das Doenças Negligenciadas no Estado de Pernambuco (SANAR). Pernambuco 2011-2014. Recife: Secretaria Estadual de Saúde. https://portal.saude.pe.gov.br/sites/portal.saude.pe.gov.br/files/plano_sanar_2011-2014.pdf
Brito MIBS, Silva MBA, Quinino LRM. Situação epidemiológica e controle da esquistossomose em Pernambuco: estudo descritivo, 2010-2016. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde 2020; 29(2):e2019252. https://doi.org/10.5123/S1679-49742020000200015
Paz WS, Souza MR, Tavares DS, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis of leprosy in Brazil: An ecological and population-based study. Lancet Reg Health Am 2022;9:100181. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.lana.2021.100181
Brasil. Ministério da Saúde (MS). Esquistossomose [Internet]. Ministério da Saúde: MS, 2021.(citado em 2023 nov 2019). Disponível em: https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/saude-de-a-a-z/e/esquistossomose#
Gomes ECS, Silva IEP, Nascimento WRC, et al. Urban schistosomiasis: An ecological study describing a new challenge to the control of this neglected tropical disease. Lancet Reg Health Am 2022. 8:100144. https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.lana.2021.100144
Kura K, Ayabina D, Toor J, et al. Disruptions to schistosomiasis programmes due to COVID-19: an analysis of potencial impact and mitigation strategies. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2021; 115(3):236-244. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/traa202
Souza CDF, Gois-Santos VT, Correia DS, et al. The need to strengthen Primary Health Care in Brazil in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Braz Oral Res 2020; 34:e047. https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-3107bor-2020.vol34.0047
Dias NLC, Faccini-Martínez ÁA, Oliveira SV. Análise das internações e da mortalidade por doenças febris, infecciosas e parasitárias durante a pandemia da COVID-19 no Brasil. InterAm J Med Health 2021;4:e202101005. https://doi.org/10.31005/iajmh.v4i.173
Souza DK, Picado A, Biéler S, et al. Diagnosis of neglected tropical diseases during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 14(8):e0008587. https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0008587
Ehrenberg JP, Zhou XN, Fontes G, et al. Strategies supporting the prevention and control of neglected tropical diseases during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Infect Dis Poverty 2020; 9:86. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-020-00701-7
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Elisangela Cordeiro Alves, Havandécio Rodrigues de Matos Júnior, Vanessa Dias Amorim, Rodrigo Feliciano do Carmo, Carlos Dornels Freire de Souza
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The author must state that the paper is original (has not been published previously), not infringing any copyright or other ownership right involving third parties. Once the paper is submitted, the Journal reserves the right to make normative changes, such as spelling and grammar, in order to maintain the language standard, but respecting the author’s style. The published papers become ownership of RECI, considering that all the opinions expressed by the authors are their responsibility. Because we are an open access journal, we allow free use of articles in educational and scientific applications provided the source is cited under the Creative Commons CC-BY license.
