2nd Edition of Public Health World Conference (PHWC) 2026

Abstract

Leprosy is a chronic, infectious disease, whose etiological agent is Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast, weakly gram-positive bacillus, which infects the peripheral nerves and, more specifically, the Schwann cells, is a curable infectious disease that remains endemic in >140 countries around the world. The objective of this study was to describe the importance of early diagnosis and multiprofessional therapeutic interventions in cases leprosy. Methods: We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, LILACS, Scopus, and Web of Science until outubric 2023. The random effects model was used to calculate the pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) when heterogeneity was greater than 50%. Results: The search resulted in 1296 references and included 31 reports. shows whether they are associated with early diagnosis of leprosy: adherence to multidisciplinary treatment [RR = 8,04 (IC95%: 2,35-27,50); p = 0,001] , did not present sequelae [RR = 6,43 (IC95%: 2,02-20,44); p = 0,002]; did not present leprosy reactions [RR = 10,7 (IC95%: 1,4-81,6; p = 0,004)]. Conclusions: Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary action in cases of leprosy are essential for adherence to treatment, the absence of sequelae and the absence of leprosy reactions. Multidisciplinary team working with coordinated actions between health professionals, researchers, managers and policy makers to combat leprosy.