[Hansen's disease in children under fifteen years-old in Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil].
Hansen's disease has a slow evolution, which mostly affects the adult population. Detecting cases in children shows that the endemic continues and there is early exposure of the population to the bacillus. This is an ecological study with the objective of analyzing the occurrence of Hansen's disease in children under fifteen in the Jequitinhonha Valley through epidemiological and operational indicators. The results show that the endemic continues in the region, demonstrating that the health services are not proactive and must implement specific prevention and control measures for this age group in order to reduce the transmission of the disease and the possible damage it can bring to the life of individuals, especially when it affects them in their childhood.
Lana
Francisco Carlos Félix
FC
Departamento de Enfermagem Materno-lnfantil e Saúde Pública da Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG.
Amaral
Evaldo Pinheiro
EP
Lanza
Fernanda Moura
FM
Lima
Paula Lamounier
PL
de Carvalho
Ana Cláudia Nascimento
AC
Diniz
Letícia Gonçalves
LG
D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male