Recent efforts to reduce malaria incidence have had some successes. Nevertheless,
malaria persists as a significant public health problem in the Brazilian Amazon. The
objective of this study was to describe changes in malaria case characteristics and
to identify trends in malaria incidence in the Brazilian Amazon. This study used data
from the Malaria Epidemiological Surveillance and Case Notification Information
System from 2004 to 2013. The annual parasite incidence (API) was calculated and
joinpoint regression was used to assess the trends in API over time. There was a
sharp increase in API in the state of Acre, followed by two periods of decrease. Pará
also presented inconsistent decreases over the study period. Amapá, Amazonas,
Rondônia, and Roraima showed statistically significant decreases over the period. The
sharpest decrease occurred in Rondônia, with a reduction of 21.7% in the average
annual percent change (AAPC) (AAPC: -21.7%; 95% confidence interval: -25.4%, -17.8%;
p < 0.05). This panorama of malaria incidence highlights the importance of
integrating evidence-based malaria surveillance and control. Malaria is highly
preventable, and eliminating its transmission should be a goal in coming decades.
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