Leprosy Mailing List, June 17th, 2008
Ref.: Child leprosy in Pando
Department, Bolivia
From: Eggens H., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Dear
Salvatore,
Thank
you for forwarding Dr Villarreal's article on child leprosy in Pando
Department, Bolivia (LML June 15th, 2008). Please
find below my brief comment.
I
find it remarkable: with a Pando department population of around 67,000
(2005), an annual leprosy case detection rate (March 2007-Feb 2008) of
202/67000 = around 300/100,000 is enormous! A child proportion of 28%
is also out of the ordinary.
What is happening there? We
know that in neighbouring Rondonia, Brazil, high case detection rates are
reported for many years (80/100,000 in 2006).
Kind
regards,
Henk
Henk Eggens, MD MPH
Senior adviser public health
Royal Tropical Institute
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
