EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE AND TRENDS IN CONGENITAL SYPHILIS CASES AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLE RESIDING IN THE STATE OF TOCANTINS, 2010–2025: AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

This article aimed to describe the epidemiological profile and temporal trend of congenital syphilis among the Indigenous population in the state of Tocantins from 2010 to 2025. This is an ecological, time-series epidemiological study based on 76 cases reported to the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) involving infants under one year of age. Descriptive analyses and Joinpoint regression were performed to identify shifts in temporal trends. The results showed that, although 88.2% of pregnant women received prenatal care, 48.7% of maternal diagnoses occurred during delivery, during a curettage procedure, or in the postpartum period. Furthermore, 97.3% of cases involved inadequate or no maternal treatment, and 80.3% of sexual partners did not receive treatment. The temporal analysis revealed an upward trend between 2010 and 2019, followed by a decline between 2019 and 2025, with an overall stationary trend. The peak incidence was recorded in 2019, at 19.80 cases per 1,000 live births. It is concluded that deficiencies in the timely detection and treatment of syphilis persist within the Indigenous population, highlighting the need to improve the quality of prenatal care and strengthen epidemiological surveillance.