Leprosy Situation in China in 2006

Based on National Leprosy Recording and Reporting System, a total number of 1,506 new cases were detected in 2006 with a case detection rate of 0.115 per 100,000 population. Among newly detected cases, 1,332 (88.4%) were on MB-MDT. The proportion of children under 15 and disability (grade 2) were 2.9% and 23.0% respectively. The male/female was 2.0:1. At the same time, a total 161 relapse cases were detected in 2006, among whom 51 were relapse after MDT. In 2006, a total number of 4,852 cases were registered on MDT, among whom 1,629 were enrolled in 2006 with a MDT coverage rate of 97.7%. By the end of 2006, a total number of 6,460 active cases (China’s criteria) were registered with a prevalence rate of 0.049 per 10,000 population and 3,264 cases were on treatment.

The first ten provinces with absolutely number of newly detected cases were Yunnan (365 cases), Sichuan (227 cases), Guizhou (203 cases), Guangdong (140 cases), Guangxi (85 cases), Hunan (65 cases), Jiangxi (60 cases), Fujian (54 cases), Hubei (41 cases) and Shaanxi (40 cases). It is obviously that the total number of newly detected cases in Yunan, Sichuan and Guizhou Provinces were 52.8% of Newly Detected Cases in China in 2006. At the same time, the first ten provinces with cases detection rate were Tibet (0.933/100,000), Yunnan (0.779/100,000), Guizhou (0.513/100,000), Sichuan 0.278/100,000), Hainan (0.251/100,000), Guangxi 0.171/100,000), Fujian (0.152/100,000), Guangdong (0.150/100,000), Jiangxi (0.138/100,000) and Shaanxi (0.107/100,000).

The first ten provinces with high prevalence rate were Yunnan (0.339/10,000), Tibet (0.300/10,000), Guizhou (0.192/10,000), Sichuan (0.134/10,000), Hainan (0.079/10,000), Fujian (0.070/10,000), Hunan (0.066/10,000), Guangxi (0.059/10,000), Jiangxi (0.053/10,000), Shaanxi (0.043/10,000). Based on the reported data, a total number of 289 counties with a prevalence rate above 0.1 per 10,000 population among which 42 were above 1 per 10,000 population.

Compared leprosy situation in 2005, the absolute number of newly detected case and cases detection rate were reduced in 2006. The total reduced number was 152 and the first 9 provinces with reduced number were Sichuan (40 cases reduced), Yunnan (33 cases reduced), Hunan (30 cases reduced), Guizhou (20 cases reduced), Fujian (15 cases reduced), Guangxi (14 cases reduced), Chongqing (13 cases reduced), Jiangxi (9 cases reduced), Tibet (8 cases reduced). It is obviously that Yunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Tibet and Hunan were still the key provinces.