In Spain, 6 new cases were reported in 2023
MADRID, 24 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Fontilles Foundation has reported that the disease of leprosy registered 174,087 new cases in the world in 2022, the last year for which there is information, which represents an increase of 23.8% compared to the 140,594 cases located in 2021, and shows a detection rate of 21.8 cases per million inhabitants.
In addition, an increase in detections in children and people with associated disabilities has been reported, according to data from 182 countries collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) and published by the foundation on the occasion of the celebration of World Health Day. against Leprosy, next Sunday, January 28.
In the report published in its magazine ‘Weekly Epidemiological Record’, the WHO considers that the data reflects “the efforts of national programs to recover from the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.” Firstly, they “represent a significant increase in the number of countries providing reports, from 127 in 2020 to 182 in 2022”; Secondly, “they show an increase of 35.6 percent in the number of new cases detected during the 2021-2022 period after the decrease recorded during the pandemic.”
However, as highlighted by the Director of Awareness and Volunteering at Fontilles, Yolanda Sanchis, detections have not yet recovered the levels prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, during which prevention and detection campaigns were stopped, and many Resources were diverted to the health emergency.
Despite the increase, there are still 28,388 detections missing to equal the 202,475 registered in 2019, 16 percent more than the 174,087 in 2022. Sanchis recalled that the last time there was a significant decrease in detections, in 2005, some countries reduced resources allocated to their anti-leprosy programs. For this reason, he has stressed the need to strengthen detection and treatment campaigns for the disease.
DETECTIONS WITH VISIBLE DISABILITIES AND IN CHILDREN UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE
The number of affected people who have visible disabilities at the time of detection has increased by 12.8 percent, going from 8,469 in 2021 to 9,554 in 2022, representing 5.5 percent of new detections and places the disability rate at 1.2 cases per million inhabitants. This evidences “late detection, often due to lack of awareness in the community of the first signs of leprosy, delay in seeking care or limited capacity of the health system to recognize leprosy early,” Sanchis explained.
In turn, new cases detected in children up to 14 years of age have grown by 14.6 percent, from 8,991 to 10,302, which represents 5.9 percent of the total and represents a rate of 5.1 cases per million child population. This confirms the continuity of the transmission of the infection in impoverished communities.
The figures indicate that every day 476 new cases of leprosy continue to be detected in the world, 26 with visible disabilities, and of which 28 are children, despite the fact that the disease has had a cure for four decades: a treatment provided free of charge by the WHO. Two pills a day for a year (six months in less severe cases) is enough to eliminate the bacteria and, if given in time, serves to prevent the development of disabilities.
LEPROSY IN SPAIN
In Spain, in 2023, 6 new cases were notified to the State Leprosy Registry of the Carlos III Health Institute-National Center of Epidemiology: 1 in Andalusia, 1 in the Canary Islands, 2 in Madrid and 2 in Catalonia. At the end of the year, there were 16 people in treatment: 3 in Andalusia, 3 in the Balearic Islands, 1 in the Canary Islands, 2 in Catalonia, 3 in the Valencian Community, 1 in Galicia, 2 in Madrid and 1 in La Rioja.
In 2022, according to the same source, 10 new cases were reported: 1 in Andalusia, 2 in Asturias, 2 in the Balearic Islands, 1 in Cantabria, 1 in the Valencian Community, 1 in Galicia, 1 in Murcia and 1 in La Rioja. . That year ended with 19 people in treatment: 3 in Andalusia, 2 in Asturias, 4 in the Balearic Islands, 1 in Cantabria, 3 in the Valencian Community, 2 in Galicia, 1 in Madrid, 1 in Murcia, 1 in the Basque Country and 1 in La Rioja.
