Epidemiological Features of Leprosy in China, 2020

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, including Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangdong, and Guangxi.