Doenças tropicais negligenciadas em população privada de liberdade no mundo: estudo cienciométrico, 1889–2023

Abstract

Introduction: Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of diseases that persist globally, especially affecting vulnerable populations, causing pain and disability, as well as social and health consequences. This includes people deprived of their liberty (PPL), who still don't enjoy basic social rights. Therefore, the increased vulnerability of PPL in the transmission of NTDs stands out, while the conditions of confinement are often precarious, making it difficult to control infectious conditions and contributing to their perpetuation, as well as strengthening the existing social stigma. Objective: To characterise the scientometric profile of scientific publications on research into NTDs in PLWH in the world, from 1889 to 2023. Methods: Scientometric research, based on the analysis of indicators related to scientific publications on NTDs associated with PPL worldwide, using the Scopus® database, based on specific criteria (scripts) and analysed using VOSviewer® scientometric visualisation software. Results: 886 scientific papers were identified, with the main modality being ‘article’ (n=805). authors with the greatest insertion in scientific products (co-authorship versus author): Rupprecht, Charles E. (n=14), Hawdon, John M. (n=13), and Santos, Renato L. (n=8), the most productive countries (co-authorship versus countries): United States (n=326), Brazil (n=122) and the United Kingdom (n=67) and the keywords with the highest occurrence (co-occurrence versus author keywords): Rabies (n=39), Zoonosis (n=25) and Trypanosoma cruzi (n=21). The main diseases that affect PPL are: Hansen’s disease (n=30), Chlamydia (n=22) and Scabies (n=11). Conclusion: The scientometric analysis reveals a limited number of scientific studies on PPL-associated NTDs and their main impacts, even over a 134-year period of analysis and a considerable increase in publications. The most registered authors were linked to research on animals and in developed countries, in contrast to the fact that NTDs particularly affect the most vulnerable populations.