PERFIL EPIDEMIOLÓGICO DAS HEPATITES B E C NO ESTADO DO RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

Abstract

Introduction: Considered a serious public health problem, Hepatitis is a disease that stands out for being silent and not always showing signs and symptoms, thus favoring the delay in its diagnosis. Objective: Faced with a continuous growth in the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) of cases of Hepatitis B and C, the present study aimed to identify the epidemiological profile of the population of the RN diagnosed and notified with hepatitis B and / or C between the years 2007 to 2015, according to regional health. Methods: This is an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study that used a consultation with DATASUS to obtain the data. Results: It was found that there was a male predominance among the cases of hepatitis B and C, as well as the age group of 20 to 39 years, considering hepatitis B and 40 to 59 for hepatitis C. Furthermore, the brown race was the predominant in both viral types; the 7th health region was the region with the most reports and there was a higher prevalence of cases of hepatitis B and C in people with lower levels of education. Conclusions: It was concluded that the profile of hepatitis B and C in the state of Rio Grande do Norte has shown to be similar to the data from Brazil, with a high prevalence, thus suggesting the need to have a greater articulation between the sectors and departments responsible for the registry and control of type B and C viral hepatitis and the importance of the health manager in face of these situations for carrying out preventive measures.