Teenager with leprosy and self-stigma: The role of education

Based on the context, established by the high number of leprosy diagnoses among children and adolescents, the serious Brazilian public health scenario related to the disease, and the campaign "Towards Zero Leprosy", part of the UN 2030 Agenda, this work aims to contribute for the development of strategies aimed at intervening in the stigmatization of adolescents by the disease through the development of socio-emotional skills faced with questions of self-esteem and self-image of adolescents affected by leprosy. This research has an inductive approach, of a basic nature and exploratory objective through a bibliographic review and analysis of secondary data, to contextualize the theme, and build a theoretical framework in the state of knowledge. Based on the knowledge produced by Garcia et al (2003), Cruz (2013), Pontes and Ximenes Neto (2005), Colli (1968), and Kauffman, Marian, and Neville (1982), this work is based on the notions of impact of leprosy stigma in adolescents, mainly concerning self-image and self-stigma. As result, data perspectives and strategic actions foreseen in the documents in the national fight against leprosy were placed, discussing the role of education in the Specific Objective 1 of the third pillar of the National Strategy. Considering the Leprosy Epidemiological Bulletin 2022 and the National Strategy to Combat Leprosy 2019-2022, it is understood that it is the role of education to collaborate so that adolescents affected by the disease understand the concepts of stigma and incidence and critically reflect to deconstruct them.