New cases of leprosy in the Cross River Region, Nigeria

Rates of leprosy cases newly reporting during 1986 are examined for a region of south-eastern Nigeria. Figures reveal that in the part of the region which was designated in 1987 as a new state, half of the administrative units had new case reporting rates higher than in adjacent areas, while the other half had very few cases reporting in 1986. Possible explanations are offered and the implications of the pattern for leprosy control in the new state are examined.