Impact of COVID-19 on the registration of tegumentary leishmaniasis cases in Maranh?o, Brazil

Background and Objectives: Elucidating the potential impact of COVID-19 on surveillance interventions and programs, such as the tegumentary leishmaniasis one, during the first year of the pandemic can help understand its consequences for notification systems, which can inform immediate public policy and health education actions, as well as highlight the need to implement new strategies to strengthen epidemiological surveillance services. The objective of the present study was to analyze the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of cases of tegumentary leishmaniasis in Maranhao, Brazil. Methods: Ecological study of confirmed cases of tegumentary leishmaniasis in the period from January 2015 to December 2020. Data were obtained from the Brazilian Information System for Notifiable Diseases. The P -score metrics were used to evaluate the possible underreporting of tegumentary leishmaniasis. Results: In the period from 2015 to 2020, 7,886 new cases of the disease were registered. For the year 2020, 1,346 cases were expected, but 1,158 were notified, which represented a decrease of 13.94%. The regional health centers of Sao Luis, Sao Joao dos Patos, and Presidente Dutra showed the greatest drops in possible expected new cases. Conclusion: The challenges in diagnosing tegumentary leishmaniasis cases seem to have intensified in the context of COVID-19 in Maranhao, which signals an important alert for health services and managers.