ANALYSIS OF THE PROPORTION OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS DIAGNOSED WITH PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS AMONG THE TOTAL CASES, BY BRAZILIAN REGION, IN THE PERIOD FROM 2019 TO 2021

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.1593652329081

• Palavras-chave: Pulmonary Tuberculosis; Homeless Population; underreporting

• Keywords: Pulmonary Tuberculosis; Homeless Population; underreporting

• Abstract:

  Pulmonary tuberculosis is a bacterial disease caused mainly by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis and presents the airways as the entry point for the microorganism. Tuberculosis control in the country presents obstacles that include socioeconomic factors associated with the unequal distribution of health, sanitary conditions and increased social vulnerability. Homeless people are constantly exposed to different pathogens due to social exclusion and poor quality of life, corroborating their increased risk of pulmonary tuberculosis infection. A quantitative study was carried out from 2019 to 2021 by Brazilian regions with the objective of analyzing the proportion of the homeless population with pulmonary tuberculosis among the total resident population diagnosed with this disease in Brazil. Secondary epidemiological data were obtained from the Department of Informatics of the SUS (DATASUS), from the National Notifiable Diseases System (SINAN). The percentage rate of diagnoses for pulmonary tuberculosis was considered the ratio between the diagnoses in the homeless population and the number of cases in the total Brazilian population. Data were tabulated and analyzed using basic statistical operations in an Excel spreadsheet. In the 3 years analyzed, the North region maintained the lowest proportion of pulmonary TB in homeless individuals, while the South region was the leader in this rate. Although the South region has gained prominence in this research, the other regions also have high proportions and need special attention in combating underreporting. Furthermore, the insufficient number of Community Health Agents (CHA) results in an increase in the treatment abandonment rate, which may reflect in the recurrence of the disease. In this context, the implementation of greater access to Primary Health Care and the fight against underreporting are essential actions that can change the current epidemiological scenario of pulmonary TB among homeless individuals in Brazil.