A survey on proportion of multibacillary cases of leprosy in Himachal Pradesh

The present village survey indicates that though the percentage of Multi-bacillary cases remains high (50%) even after deducting the cases fit for discharge yet there is no evidence of high proportion of MB cases among newly detected cases. The percentage of MB cases among newly detected Leprosy cases is 16.7, but when old and new cases are put together and cases fit for discharge are deducted-the percentage of MB cases increases to 50. This high percentage of MB case is due to prolonged irregular treatment of old cases that are still clinically active, even after 10-30 years of treatment. The State level, district level/Leprosy Control Unit level data also indicated high percentage of MB cases which was mainly due to underdetection of cases particularly of Pauci-bacillary type, non-discharge of Multi-bacillary cases fit for discharge, prolonged irregular treatment of remaining MB cases that are active and due to various other contributory factors.