[Profile of leprosy in the Sanitary District of Odienné, North-West region of the Ivory Coast].

Abstract

To determine the characteristics of leprosy in the Sanitary District of Odienné in the North Western part of Ivory Coast, a retrospective study was made based on patients of four years. This study showed that 107 lepers were detected from 1994 to 1997 and all of them benefited from polychemotherapy. Leprosy affected youngsters as well as adults (aged 4 to 95) with a slight feminine prevalence (55%). Patients were detected and put on polychemotherapy about 5 years after the first symptoms had appeared. The paucibacillaries represented 72.5% and were most present with women. Disabilities at detection were of 25.7% on the whole with a higher frequency in the multibacillary group (43.3%) than in the paucibacillary (19%); moreover, level 2 disabilities represented 10.1%, most of them being confined on hands. Finally, the efforts of sensibilisation seem having given the opportunity to the majority of patients detected in 1997 to come spontaneously for consultation, just after the first signs of illness. This sensibilisation has to be sustained.