COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted the Actions of the Schistosomiasis Control Program in Brazil: Is the Goal of Controlling the Disease by 2030 at Risk?

22 Pages Posted: 15 Mar 2023

See all articles by Lucas Almeida Andrade

Lucas Almeida Andrade

Universidade Federal de Sergipe - Graduate Nursing Programme

Wandklebson Silva da Paz

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) - Tropical Medicine Graduate Program

Rosália E. Santos Ramos

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE)

Welde N. Borges de Santana

Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Thuelly Juvêncio da Rocha

Universidade Federal de Alagoas

Flávia Silva Damasceno

Universidade Federal de Alagoas

Allan Dantas dos Santos

Universidade Federal de Sergipe - Collective Health Research Center

Débora dos Santos Tavares

Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Rodrigo Feliciano do Carmo

Federal University of Vale do Sao Francisco (UNIVASF)

Carlos Dornels Freire de Souza

Universidade Federal de Alagoas

Deborah Aparecida Negrão-Corrêa

Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)

Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara

Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)

Abelardo Silva-Júnior

Universidade Federal de Alagoas

Wagnner José Nascimento Porto

Federal Institute of Education Science and Technology of Alagoas

Márcio Bezerra-Santos

Universidade Federal de Sergipe - Graduate Program in Health Sciences

Abstract

Background: With the irruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, several neglected disease control strategies were suspended, probably compromising the eradication goals of numerous diseases, including schistosomiasis. Herein, we aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Schistosomiasis Control Program (PCE) actions in all endemic states of Brazil.

Methods: The PCE variables assessed were the population surveyed, number of Kato-Katz tests, positive cases of schistosomiasis and percentage of cases treated with Praziquantel between 2015 and 2021. The percentage of change was calculated to verify if there was an increase or decrease in 2020 and 2021, along with time trend analyses given by Joinpoint regression model. Additionally, spatial distribution maps were elaborated, considering the % change of each Brazilian state.

Results: A significant decrease in the population surveyed in 2020 (% change: -65.38%) and 2021 (-37.94%) was observed in Brazil. Likewise, there was a proportional reduction in the number of Kato-Katz tests performed (2020 = -67.48%; 2021 = -40.52%) and a considerable decrease in the percentage of positive cases in Brazil (-71.16%; -40.5%) and in the Northeast (-69.18%; -39.89%) and Southeast (-85.06%; -53.94%) regions. More importantly, there was a reduction in the percentage of treated cases (-72.09%; -41.67%). Time trend analyses showed a decreasing trend in most PCE variables with the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

Conclusion: Taken together, these findings demonstrate that PCE actions were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and PCE strategies must be urgently reviewed, focusing the resources and investments in all endemic areas.

Note:
Funding Information: This study received no funding.

Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no actual or potential competing interests.

Ethics Approval Statement: The data used are in the public domain without identification of the individuals. For this reason, the individual consent form did not need to be applied. Thus, the research did not need the Committee for Ethics in Research on Human Beings’ approval. However, the rules of the Helsinki Convention were followed.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-Cov-2, Schistosoma mansoni, Neglected Tropical Disease, Brazil

Suggested Citation

Andrade, Lucas Almeida and Silva da Paz, Wandklebson and Santos Ramos, Rosália E. and de Santana, Welde N. Borges and Juvêncio da Rocha, Thuelly and Damasceno, Flávia Silva and Dantas dos Santos, Allan and Tavares, Débora dos Santos and do Carmo, Rodrigo Feliciano and Freire de Souza, Carlos Dornels and Negrão-Corrêa, Deborah Aparecida and Fujiwara, Ricardo Toshio and Silva-Júnior, Abelardo and Porto, Wagnner José Nascimento and Bezerra-Santos, Márcio, COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted the Actions of the Schistosomiasis Control Program in Brazil: Is the Goal of Controlling the Disease by 2030 at Risk?. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4385971 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4385971

Lucas Almeida Andrade (Contact Author)

Universidade Federal de Sergipe - Graduate Nursing Programme

Cidade Universitária Prof. Jose Aloisio de Campos
Jardim Rosa Elze, Av. Marechal Rondon
Sao Cristovao, 491000-000
Brazil

Wandklebson Silva da Paz

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) - Tropical Medicine Graduate Program ( email )

Brazil

Rosália E. Santos Ramos

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) ( email )

Welde N. Borges De Santana

Universidade Federal de Sergipe ( email )

Thuelly Juvêncio da Rocha

Universidade Federal de Alagoas ( email )

Flávia Silva Damasceno

Universidade Federal de Alagoas ( email )

Allan Dantas dos Santos

Universidade Federal de Sergipe - Collective Health Research Center ( email )

Cidade Universitária Prof. Jose Aloisio de Campos
Jardim Rosa Elze, Av. Marechal Rondon
Sao Cristovao, Sergipe 491000-000
Brazil

Débora dos Santos Tavares

Universidade Federal de Sergipe ( email )

Cidade Universitária Prof. Jose Aloisio de Campos
Jardim Rosa Elze, Av. Marechal Rondon
Sao Cristovao, Sergipe 491000-000
Brazil

Rodrigo Feliciano Do Carmo

Federal University of Vale do Sao Francisco (UNIVASF) ( email )

Brazil

Carlos Dornels Freire de Souza

Universidade Federal de Alagoas ( email )

Av. Lourival Melo Mota
Tabuleiro dos Martins
Maceió-AL, 57072-900
Brazil

Deborah Aparecida Negrão-Corrêa

Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) ( email )

BELO HORIZONTE
Brazil

Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara

Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) ( email )

Abelardo Silva-Júnior

Universidade Federal de Alagoas ( email )

Wagnner José Nascimento Porto

Federal Institute of Education Science and Technology of Alagoas ( email )

Rod. Eng. Joaquim Goncalves
Dom Constantino
Penedo, AL 57200-000
Brazil

Márcio Bezerra-Santos

Universidade Federal de Sergipe - Graduate Program in Health Sciences ( email )

Sergipe
Brazil

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