TY - JOUR
KW - Health inequalities
KW - Rural Health
KW - Disease surveillance
KW - Physical disability
KW - Social exclusion
AU - Ramos PR
AU - Freitas NGDC
AU - Alves KCG
AU - Santos LST
AU - Dias EST
AU - Coelho MFB
AU - Azevêdo ACD
AU - Santos ADS
AU - Galvão Filho RR
AU - Ramos RDCDA
AU - Oliveira HFAD
AU - Neves PCF
AU - Amorim ACCLA
AU - Santos MRABD
AU - Santos BELRD
AU - Ferreira AF
AU - Cavalcante EHM
AU - Araújo HN
AU - Ribeiro CV
AU - Silva DCOD
AB - <jats:p>Leprosy remains a persistent public health issue in Brazil, particularly in the Semiarid region, where its persistence reflects not only biological transmission but also structural inequality. Despite the availability of free multidrug therapy, the disease continues to affect socially vulnerable populations, revealing a paradox between therapeutic capacity and epidemiological persistence. This study aims to analyze leprosy in the Brazilian Semiarid as a biopolitically mediated phenomenon, shaped by territorial inequality, stigma, and limited access to care. An integrative literature review was conducted, including studies published between 2019 and 2026, selected through systematic search, screening, and critical appraisal procedures. The synthesis incorporated epidemiological, social, and health system perspectives to construct a comprehensive analytical framework. The results indicate that leprosy is spatially concentrated in vulnerable territories, where rural dispersion and limited health infrastructure hinder early diagnosis. High rates of physical disability at diagnosis reveal systemic delays, while failures in primary health care and contact surveillance sustain transmission. Stigma and institutional silence further contribute to delayed care and social exclusion. The discussion highlights that leprosy persistence is embedded in a nexus of vulnerability, where territory, access, and social conditions interact to produce unequal outcomes. Clinical cure does not eliminate the social consequences of the disease, reinforcing cycles of exclusion. It is concluded that leprosy in the Semiarid must be addressed as a form of social injustice. Effective control requires not only treatment, but also territorial equity, active surveillance, and policies aimed at social reintegration.</jats:p>
BT - Journal of Education Science and Health
DA - 04/2026
DO - 10.52832/jesh.v6i2.677
IS - 2
LA - ENG
M3 - Article 
N2 - <jats:p>Leprosy remains a persistent public health issue in Brazil, particularly in the Semiarid region, where its persistence reflects not only biological transmission but also structural inequality. Despite the availability of free multidrug therapy, the disease continues to affect socially vulnerable populations, revealing a paradox between therapeutic capacity and epidemiological persistence. This study aims to analyze leprosy in the Brazilian Semiarid as a biopolitically mediated phenomenon, shaped by territorial inequality, stigma, and limited access to care. An integrative literature review was conducted, including studies published between 2019 and 2026, selected through systematic search, screening, and critical appraisal procedures. The synthesis incorporated epidemiological, social, and health system perspectives to construct a comprehensive analytical framework. The results indicate that leprosy is spatially concentrated in vulnerable territories, where rural dispersion and limited health infrastructure hinder early diagnosis. High rates of physical disability at diagnosis reveal systemic delays, while failures in primary health care and contact surveillance sustain transmission. Stigma and institutional silence further contribute to delayed care and social exclusion. The discussion highlights that leprosy persistence is embedded in a nexus of vulnerability, where territory, access, and social conditions interact to produce unequal outcomes. Clinical cure does not eliminate the social consequences of the disease, reinforcing cycles of exclusion. It is concluded that leprosy in the Semiarid must be addressed as a form of social injustice. Effective control requires not only treatment, but also territorial equity, active surveillance, and policies aimed at social reintegration.</jats:p>
PB - Journal of Education, Science and Health - JESH
PY - 2026
SP - 1 
EP -  18
T2 - Journal of Education Science and Health
TI - NEGLECTED BODIES AND STIGMATIZED TERRITORIES: THE BIOPOLITICS OF LEPROSY IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMIARID THROUGH THE LENS OF SOCIAL VULNERABILITY
UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/404006272_NEGLECTED_BODIES_AND_STIGMATIZED_TERRITORIES_THE_BIOPOLITICS_OF_LEPROSY_IN_THE_BRAZILIAN_SEMIARID_THROUGH_THE_LENS_OF_SOCIAL_VULNERABILITYCORPOS_NEGLIGENCIADOS_E_TERRITORIOS_ESTIGMATIZADOS_A_BIOPOLITI/ful
VL - 6
SN - 2763-6119
ER -