Abstract
BackgroundLeprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of leprosy in Benin from 2006 to 2018.MethodsThis descriptive retrospective study included data from January 2006 to December 2018. The data of all patients treated in the leprosy treatment centres (LTCs) of the Republic of Benin were obtained from the LTC registers and analysed using Stata/SE 11.0 software. Quantum GIS (Geographic Information System) version 2.18.23 software was used for mapping. The main indicators of leprosy were calculated according to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.ResultsDuring the study period, a total of 2785 (annual average of 214) new cases of leprosy were diagnosed. The median age of the patients was 38 years, with extremes ranging from 6 to 88 years. The sex ratio (males/females) was 1.18 (1509/1276). The departments of Plateau, Atacora, and Zou were the most endemic; their leprosy detection rate per 100,000 population during these thirteen years were 6.46 (479/7414297), 5.38 (534/9932880) and 5.19 (526/10134877), respectively. The leprosy detection rate declined from 3.8 to 1.32 per 100,000 inhabitants. The proportion of paediatric cases varied from 8.56 to 2.67% as the proportion of multibacillary forms increased from 72.95 to 90%. From 2006 to 2018, 622 leprosy patients detected had grade 2 disability (G2D) at screening, indicating an average rate of 5.06 (622/122877474) cases with G2D per million population. The proportion of grade 2 disabilities increased from 21.23 to 32% during the study period. The majority of new leprosy cases among foreign-born persons were Nigerian (85.71%). The completion of multidrug therapy (MDT) for paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) leprosy cases ranged from 96.36 to 95.65% and from 90.53 to 94.12%, respectively.ConclusionIn Benin, leprosy remains a major health challenge; it is important to revitalize the epidemiological surveillance system to achieve its elimination by 2030.
Highlights
Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae
While leprosy is a widespread public health challenge, it is challenging for developing countries such as Benin, whose health systems are most often confronted with insufficient human, material and financial resources
Setting The study was conducted in Benin in eight leprosy treatment centres (LTCs) and peripheral-level health facilities managed by specialized health workers (called leprosy supervising nurses (LSNs)) who work in collaboration with the National Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Control Programme (NLBUCP)
Summary
Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae [1, 2]. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the goal of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem has been achieved. Despite these major achievements, new cases of leprosy continue to be detected in all WHO regions, meaning that leprosy persists, and its transmission continues in these different regions despite the availability of effective and free antibacterial treatment [6]. The objectives of this study were to describe the epidemiological characteristics of leprosy in Benin over time and space from 2006 to 2018 based on key WHO indicators, such as indicators of case detection, case management and follow-up
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