title: Estimated number of leprosy cases in the world.
abstract: Planning for leprosy control requires estimates of the number of leprosy patients at different levels. During the period between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s, global estimates had remained constant at between 10 and 12 million. The introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) in many countries and the consequent reduction of the disease's prevalence has necessitated a reassessment of this. Based on available information and its interpretation, the number of leprosy cases in the world for 1991 has been estimated at 5.5 million. The number of individuals deformed by leprosy, including those cured of the disease, has been estimated at between 2 and 3 million.
authors.affiliation: Leprosy Unit, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Noordeen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lopez Bravo
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Sundaresan
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology*