COMPARISON BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH REGIONS OF BRAZIL REGARDING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS HOSPITALIZATIONS: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS FROM 2020 TO 2024

Abstract

This article aimed to compare the distribution of hospitalizations for multiple sclerosis (MS) between the North and South regions of Brazil from 2020 to 2024, considering sex, age group, and year of occurrence. This is a quantitative, descriptive, ecological epidemiological study based on secondary data from the Unified Health System's Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS), made available by the Unified Health System's Department of Informatics (DATASUS). Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of MS classified under code G35 of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) occurring in the studied regions during the selected period were analyzed. A total of 3,339 hospitalizations were identified; the South region predominated in all years analyzed, recording between 502 and 717 annual hospitalizations, whereas the North region recorded between 64 and 97. A predominance of females and a higher concentration of hospitalizations in the 30–39 and 40–49 age groups were observed. The study concludes that there are significant differences in the distribution of MS-related hospitalizations between the North and South regions, possibly linked to epidemiological factors, the availability of specialized services, and access to diagnosis and treatment. These findings underscore the need to investigate regional inequalities in MS care in Brazil.