Epidemiological features of leprosy in China, 2020

Abstract

Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of leprosy in China in 2020 and provide a basis for optimizing leprosy prevention and control strategies.Methods: We collected leprosy data from the Leprosy Management Information System in China, which includes data from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, except for Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and then performed a descriptive analysis of these data.Results: A total of 406 newly detected leprosy cases were reported nationwide in China in 2020, giving an incidence rate of 0.29 per 1,000,000 population. Among the population with leprosy, the proportions of children younger than 15 years, multibacillary cases, and cases with grade 2 disability were 1.2%, 93.3%, and 17.7%, respectively. Southwest China was the region with the largest proportion of new leprosy cases (54.7%). There were 31 relapse leprosy cases reported in 2020. By the end of 2020, there were 1,893 registered leprosy cases reported nationwide, giving a prevalence rate of 1.35 per 1,000,000 population. Conclusion:Leprosy is at a low endemic level in China in terms of the prevalence and incidence rates. However, the geographical distribution of leprosy in China is unbalanced; leprosy is highly endemic in southwest China,

Epidemiology of leprosy in China, 2021: an update

“…[14][15][16] In 2021, the detection rate of leprosy globally was 17.8 per million, which was 66 times higher than the rate in China (0.27 per million). 6 This demonstrates that leprosy is in a relatively low endemic situation in China. However, many patients with leprosy still live in remote areas with an underdeveloped economy and poor living conditions in Southwest China.…”

“…13 In 2021, there were 140,594 new leprosy cases and 133,802 registered leprosy cases reported globally, distributed in 143 countries, giving a case detection rate of 17.83 per million population and prevalence rate of 16.9 per million population. 6 Compared with 2020, both the detection rate and prevalence rate of leprosy were slightly increased in 2021 (16.4 and 16.6 per million population, respectively). However, as in 2020, the worldwide incidence and prevalence of leprosy were still lower in 2021 than in 2019 (detection rate and prevalence rate of 25.9 and 22.7 per million population, respectively).…”

“…In 2021, the number of newly detected leprosy cases in China was the 23rd highest worldwide and the third highest in the Western Pacific region. 6 In China, the number of newly detected leprosy cases decreased from 406 in 2020 (detection rate 0.29 per million) to 374 in 2021 (detection rate 0.27 per million), with no significant change in the incidence rate. The current situation of leprosy cases in China in 2021 was similar to that in 2020, which might be attributable to the hindrance of the discovery and tracking of leprosy cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…In 2020, 5 provinces reported more than 30 newly detected leprosy cases and one province (Yunnan) reported more than 100 new leprosy cases. 6 In comparison, there was a decline either in the number of new leprosy cases or in the total number of leprosy cases in relatively high endemic provinces in 2021. Tibet reported the highest incidence rate of leprosy (1.64 per million), followed by Yunnan (1.61 per million) and Guizhou (1.5 per million).…”

“…5 From 2012 to present, the number of new leprosy cases in China has been steadily decreasing. According to data reported by the WHO, there were 406 newly detected leprosy cases in 2020 6 and 374 new cases reported in 2021 7 in China, which suggests that either the prevalence or incidence rates of leprosy are still declining. In 2020, the National Programme finished in China, which means that a phased target of leprosy control in China had been achieved.…”