Perfil epidemiológico dos casos de sífilis gestacional e congênita da população indígena no Brasil

Abstract

Introduction: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the Treponema Pallidum bacterium. Its evolution is chronic and often asymptomatic, presenting slowly and in different stages. The increase in the incidence of syphilis cases is significant worldwide and affects mainly more vulnerable populations, with an estimated 11 million new cases per year. When untreated or inadequately treated, the severity of gestational syphilis progresses in a multisystemic manner, affecting the cardiovascular and nervous systems. At any gestational period or stage of maternal disease, there is risk of vertical transmission, being responsible in the long-term for the cases of miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, and a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of gestational and congenital syphilis cases in the indigenous population in Brazil from 2007 to 2021. Methodology: This is a descriptive and ecological study of the epidemiological profile, based on data collected from the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan) and Sistema de Informação de Nascidos Vivos (Sinasc). The variables referring to sociodemographic, clinical and epidemiological characteristics were analyzed. Results: In the analyzed period, 2,921 cases of syphilis were reported in pregnant women, with a growth of 32.25% between the years 2007 to 2021. The largest number of reported cases occurred in the age group between 20 and 39 years (69.54%), with schooling between 1st and 4th grade (23.45%) and residents of the Centro-Oeste region (32.24%). In congenital syphilis, 784 cases were reported, with the highest occurrence in 2018 (86 cases), corresponding to an incidence rate of 3.35 cases/1,000 live births. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that due to the increasing incidence rates and number of cases, gestational and congenital syphilis continues to be considered a public health problem in the maternal and child indigenous population, and is also related to associated factor such as low education, age group, region, access to prenatal care and partner treatment. The health system must prioritize strategies that strengthen the care of women and children in an individualized model so that the goal of eliminating syphilis established by the World Health Organization is achieved.