Space occupation and its relationship to the progression of leprosy in the Northeast of Minas Gerais, Brazil - 19th century

Abstract

Leprosy is prevalent in underdeveloped countries, as the precarious living conditions of the population favor its emergence. It is of great importance to public health due to its magnitude and high disabling power, affecting mainly the economically active age group. In the Northeast of the State of Minas Gerais, this disease has a pattern of high endemicity; due to this, the region has long been the target of public control policies. However, such measures have not had the desired impact to reduce its expression in the region, which makes it imperative to better understand the phenomenon in its various dimensions, including the historical one. This article aims to analyze space occupation and the disease's progression in the Northeast of Minas Gerais in the 19th century. We decided to conduct a historical documental study, which allowed us to interpret social phenomena connected with leprosy. The historical analysis showed that the emergence and progression of the disease in the Northeast of Minas Gerais were linked to the economic and social movements of discovery and development of the region, which caused the disease transmission cycle.