Epidemiological Profile of Tuberculosis in Pernambuco: Sociodemographic Analysis of the Period 2013–2023

Tuberculosis ( Mycobacterium tuberculosis ) remains one of the major public health concerns in Brazil, affecting 1,020,108 individuals between 2013 and 2023. The state of Pernambuco ranks fourth nationally in TB diagnoses, accounting for 6.6% of cases nationwide (67,085), underscoring the public health relevance of the disease in the state context. This study aims to analyze the epidemiological profile of TB in Pernambuco, identifying temporal trends, demographic characteristics, and factors associated with treatment adherence. A descriptive-analytical ecological study using retrospective data from DATASUS/SINAN (2013–2023). All TB cases reported in Pernambuco were included, regardless of age. Variables analyzed included annual incidence, distribution by sex, race/color, age group, treatment adherence, and TB-HIV coinfection. Data were tabulated in Excel and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Between 2013 and 2023, Pernambuco recorded 67,085 TB cases. There was a predominance of males (72.2%; 48,392 cases) and individuals of mixed race (60.9%; 40,892 cases), with a peak in the final year analyzed (2023, with 7,729 cases). The 20–59 age group, considered the economically active population (EAP), accounted for 76.3% of cases (51,253). Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) showed a high proportion of missing/ignored data (26,332 cases; 39.2%), despite a similarly high proportion of DOT performed (26,230 cases; 39%). TB-HIV coinfection affected 10.9% of cases (7,289), peaking in 2023 (770 records). Pulmonary TB predominated (85.3%; 57,252 cases), while extrapulmonary TB was more frequent among women (27.8%; 5,522 cases). The municipality of Recife accounted for 45.1% (30,259 cases) of notifications. Pernambuco maintains high TB endemicity, facing challenges such as poor identification of treatment adherence and vulnerability among urban and economically active populations. TB-HIV coinfection and racial inequality, with Black and mixed-race individuals representing 73.1% of cases, remain significant issues. Finally, the high proportion of white/ignored entries in key surveillance and monitoring variables may be underestimating data related to treatment outcomes and potential complications, such as clinical worsening and bacterial resistance.