New cases of leprosy appear every year in Morocco. The latest figures from the Directorate of Epidemiology and Disease Control show 14 new cases detected. The prevalence is 0.06 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Leprosy still rages in Morocco. Every year, new cases appear. Figures from the Directorate of Epidemiology and Disease Control which appear in the 2022 epidemiology and public health bulletin recently published on the website of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection show 14 new cases in 2022. Of these 14 new cases reported, there are 13 cases in multibacillary form and 1 case in paucibacillary form. The prevalence is 0.06 per 100,000 inhabitants. The percentage of contacts monitored is 56% for a target of 90%. The 5 endemic regions are: Casablanca-Settat (3 new cases), Rabat-Salé-Kénitra (5 cases), Fès-Meknes (4 cases), Tangier-Tétouan –Al Hoceima (1 case) and Souss Massa (1 case) . Men remain more affected by this chronic infectious disease. The M/F sex ratio is 2.5. It should be noted that 2 cases of grade disability were notified and 2 cases of grade 1. The Ministry of Health wishes to eliminate this disease by 2030 through the national program to combat leprosy which, let us recall- the, was set up in 1981. This program aims to ensure the early diagnosis of leprosy in newly detected patients; improve the continuous monitoring of patients undergoing treatment; reduce the detection rate of new cases. It is also a question of ensuring active annual monitoring of contacts of patients suffering from leprosy for at least 10 years; maintain PCT coverage of patients undergoing treatment at 100%. You should know that leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by a bacteria called “Mycobacterium leprae”. This disease mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves causing damage that progresses slowly and can become permanent. Leprosy can also affect the eyes and limbs during its progression, making it a debilitating disease with serious repercussions on general health. Leprosy manifests itself by lesions on the skin which may have a depigmented or reddish appearance, the rash may affect a single or several areas of the body and be accompanied by muscle weakness and insensitivity if the Peripheral nerves are affected. The progression of the disease can cause eye damage as well as damage to other organs. The leprosy bacillus, after having infected the human body, multiplies very slowly. This results in a long delay between the time of infection and the appearance of the first symptoms. An average incubation period of 5 years is observed. According to the WHO, the disease is transmitted by droplets from the nose and mouth. You must be in close and prolonged contact, for several months, with a person suffering from leprosy and not treated to contract the disease. Leprosy is a curable disease. The currently recommended treatment regimen is multidrug therapy which includes three drugs: dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine. The duration of treatment is six months for paucibacillary cases and 12 months for multibacillary cases.
Morocco
