Fundação Alfredo da Matta holds ‘Mutirão Dermatológico’ this Saturday (27)

Purple January

Action is part of the Purple January campaign, to intensify the fight against Leprosy

The Alfredo da Matta Hospital Foundation (FUHAM) will hold, this Saturday (27), the first dermatological campaign of the year. The action is part of the Purple January campaign, which aims to disseminate information about leprosy and intensify the search for and treatment of new cases of the disease.

The action will take place at the FUHAM headquarters, located at Avenida Codajás, nº 24, corner of Avenida Carvalho Leal, Cachoeirinha neighborhood, south zone of Manaus. Service starts at 7am and goes until 2pm. Anyone can be served, regardless of age. There is no need to be referred from other units, the patient just needs to bring their Unified Health System – SUS or CPF card.

About leprosy

The causative agent of leprosy is the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. The Brazilian Society of Dermatology emphasizes that the disease is not contagious in the way it was defended in the past, isolating and segregating people. Its early identification prevents damage to nerves and movements. Contrary to what was thought, a few decades ago, the disease is present in different layers of society and not just in poorer places without basic sanitation.

The disease is transmitted by a person who has the transmitting form and is not undergoing treatment. Any individual can be affected. One of the most common symptoms is the appearance of spots on the skin that show loss or change in sensitivity to heat and cold. In more advanced cases, pain, muscle weakness in the limbs (arms or legs) and even vision impairment may appear. World Day to Combat and Prevent Leprosy is celebrated on the last Sunday of January, which this year will be on the 28th.

Leprosy in Amazonas

In 2023, 310 new cases of leprosy were detected in Amazonas. Of the total new cases, 106 (34.2%) were residents of Manaus and 204 (65.8%) were residents of 42 other municipalities. In the age group over 15 years old, 290 (93.5%) cases were detected and 20 in children under 15 years old (6.5%). Compared to 2022, when 344 cases were registered, there was a 10.9% reduction in the total number of cases. In relation to the detection rate, Amazonas went from 44.3/100 thousand inhabitants in 2000 to 7.26/100 thousand inhabitants in 2023, which represented a reduction of 82.1%, however the endemicity parameter is still considered average.

In municipalities in the interior, this decrease was also observed in the same period (2000 to 2023). Manaus showed similar downward behavior to the state with a reduction of 88.9% in the period. Today, Manaus has a detection rate of 4.7/100 thousand inhabitants, in the average endemicity parameter.

Amazonas currently occupies 17th place in the ranking of Brazilian states in terms of number of registered cases of Leprosy, according to the Ministry of Health. The data are from the Department of Disease Control and Epidemiology (DCDE) of FUHAM. The Alfredo da Matta Hospital Foundation houses the coordination of the State Program to Combat Leprosy and is a reference center for treating the disease, together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

*With information from consultancy

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