Leprosy Today
At the beginning of 2007, the registered prevalence of leprosy in the world was 224,717 cases, while the number of new cases detected during 2006 was 259,017, as reported by 109 countries (World Health Organization). The global number of new cases detected during the past five years has decreased at an average rate of nearly 20 percent per year largely due to the success of early diagnosis and treatment with MDT.
Since the 1980s, when the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated its Leprosy Elimination Project, more than 14 million cases have been cured. However, the number of new cases being detected annually is raising the unanswered questions about the source of infection, transmission, and incubation period of leprosy. In other words, what is the basis of this steady stream of new cases detected in the midst of such a dramatic drop in the numbers of people living with the disease? This may be attributed to a number of factors including intensified efforts in case detection, and/or high transmission of the disease in certain areas.
Today, leprosy is found mainly in Angola, Brazil, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal, and the United Republic of Tanzania. These countries account for a remarkable 75 percent of the global leprosy burden and they are taking steps to control the disease through information campaigns and by providing diagnostic and treatment services to all communities, including the poor and underserved, and by incorporating leprosy diagnosis and treatment into general health services.
Reference
Leprosy Today from the World Health Organization
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