Prevalence of Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria in South American countries

Abstract

Introduction: Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria (NTDM) remain major public health challenges in South America, particularly in contexts marked by poverty and inequality. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of NTDM in South American countries through time series analyses and to identify associated sociodemographic and economic factors. Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study from 2010 to 2019 were used, along with indicators from the World Bank Group and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Analyses included time series, mean comparisons, regression, and correlation. Results: No statistically significant difference was found in the mean number of cases between sexes (p=0.92). Most countries showed a decreasing trend in the number of cases, except for Bolivia, Peru, and Guyana (male), and Bolivia, Brazil, and Guyana (female), which presented a stationary trend. Significant correlations were observed between male prevalence and HDI (p=0.02; r=-0.79), undernutrition index (p=0.023; r=0.64), access to safe drinking water (p=0.013; r=-0.69), and GDP per capita (p=0.005; r=-0.57). For females, correlations were found with HDI (p=0.01; r=-0.81), undernutrition (p=0.035; r=0.61), and access to safe drinking water (p=0.026; r=-0.63). The countries with the highest prevalence were Venezuela, Guyana, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador. Conclusion: The prevalence of NTDM has declined in most analyzed countries and is strongly associated with poverty-related indicators.