01780nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001700055653001700072653001200089653002500101653002400126100001300150700001200163700001200175700001400187700001500201700001300216245008800229520124500317       2014                            d  bElsevier10aSurveillance10aSaudi Arabia10aleprosy10aEarly case detection10aCommunity education1 aAssiri A1 aYezli S1 aTayeb T1 aAlmasri M1 aBamgboye A1 aMemish Z00aEradicating leprosy in Saudi Arabia: Outcome of a ten-year surveillance (2003-2012)3 aBackground
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has a sentinel surveillance system on leprosy for effective monitoring of the disease.
Methods
A retrospective epidemiological analysis of all cases of leprosy captured by the surveillance system between 2003 and 2012 was conducted.
Results
Over the 10-year period, there were 242 reported cases of leprosy in KSA, 67% of which were in those aged between 15 and 44 years of age. Males accounted for over 77% of all cases and non-Saudi nationals, dominated by Indians, and represented 57.4% of the total cases. Just over half of the cases were paucibacillary leprosy, and 9% were grade 2 disability. Makkah region accounted for nearly 42% of all cases. Annual trends showed an overall decline in the yearly cases and prevalence of the disease from 41 cases (0.018 per 10,000 population) in 2003 to 15 cases (0.005 per 10,000 population) in 2012.
Conclusion
KSA needs to strengthen the leprosy surveillance systems, as well as health care and community education about the disease which will help effective monitoring, early detection and treatment of the disease. Moreover, the role or migrants in the importation of the disease needs to be addressed to achieve and maintain eradication.