EPIDEMIOLOGY AND TEMPORAL TRENDS OF SYPHILIS AMONG INDIGENOUS CHILDREN UNDER ONE YEAR OF AGE IN AMAZONAS, BRAZIL, FROM 2021 TO 2025
TL;DR
Preventing the occurrence and increase of syphilis cases among Indigenous children under one year of age requires combining biomedical strategies with profound respect for the culture and autonomy of each Indigenous ethnic group.
Abstract
Introduction: Among the most common health conditions affecting Indigenous peoples since the arrival of European colonizers are sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including syphilis. Congenital syphilis has had a significant impact on child health worldwide, and the increasing number of cases has raised concerns for the World Health Organization. Objective: To describe the epidemiology and temporal trends of congenital syphilis among Indigenous children under one year of age. Methodology: A retrospective, descriptive study based on publicly available data. All information was obtained from the epidemiological bulletins published by FVS-RCP/AM for the years 2021 to 2025. Results: From January 2021 to December 2025, 2,079 cases of syphilis in children under one year of age were recorded in Amazonas, Brazil, of which 3.2% involved Indigenous children. Most cases were among females (52.2%), individuals classified as mixed race (parda) (90.0%), and residents of urban (73.4%), peri-urban (10.15%), and rural areas (15.2%). Between 2021 and 2025, a 27.94% increase in cases among Indigenous children was observed, rising from 383 to 490 records, representing an absolute increase of 107 cases over the period. Conclusion: Therefore, preventing the occurrence and increase of syphilis cases among Indigenous children under one year of age requires combining biomedical strategies with profound respect for the culture and autonomy of each Indigenous ethnic group.