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  • Title: Case finding survey for leprosy in Botswana.
    Author: Kumaresan JA, Khulumani P, Maganu ET.
    Journal: East Afr Med J; 1993 Oct; 70(10):635-8. PubMed ID: 8187660.
    Abstract:
    A baseline survey to establish the point prevalence of leprosy was carried out in July and August, 1991 in northern Botswana, where cases of leprosy have existed over the years. A total of 799 contacts of 127 index cases and 8235 school children from 18 schools were clinically screened for leprosy. In all, 44 active cases of leprosy were registered and started on multidrug therapy recommended by World Health Organization. Of these cases, 32% were newly identified during the survey. Due to the moderate outcome, surveillance and control of leprosy has been integrated with existing TB control programme. This is the first time ever a systematic attempt was made to establish a programme for control of leprosy in Botswana. During July-August 1991, health workers conducted leprosy screening in Ngami, Okavango, Chobe, Boteti, and Mahalapye in northern Botswana to determine the point prevalence of leprosy. They screened 799 contacts of 127 index cases and 6235 school children from 9 secondary and 9 primary schools. During the contact survey, they detected 42 active cases of leprosy, whom they started on multidrug therapy. Only 2 students had active leprosy (paucibacillary cases). They lived in Okavango subdistrict. The health workers also started them on multidrug therapy. The surveys identified 14 (32%) new leprosy cases. Multibacillary leprosy was more common than paucibacillary leprosy (68% vs. 32%). Most cases (84%) were older than 25 years old. Most leprosy cases lived in Ngami and Okavango subdistricts (43% and 41%, respectively). The point prevalence of registered leprosy cases on multidrug therapy in the 5 subdistricts in northern Botswana was 0.18/1000. Since the surveys showed that leprosy prevalence is low, surveillance and control of leprosy activities have been integrated into the existing tuberculosis control program. This integration was the first time that a leprosy control program has been systematically attempted in Botswana.
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