Survey on child leprosy patients and problems resulted from the disease in China
Objectives: To understand the situation of child leprosy patients in the low
prevalence situation pertaining in China.
Method: A retrospective survey by questionnaire was carried out in all 32 provinces
of mainland of China in 2011. All data concerning child cases detected from January
2005 to December 2009 were collected by professional health workers working at
county level.
Results: During the study, only 165 questionnaires were collected for analysis.
Among 165 child cases, 96 were boys, 69 were girls with an average age of 11·7 years
old. 80% of child cases were members of families with other leprosy affected people.
145 (85%) child cases took their MDT secretly (nobody outside the family knew the
child suffered from leprosy), and three (1·8%) children died, one each from dapsone
syndrome, suicide and severe pneumonia. During follow-up, four child cases
developed new disability increasing the Grade 2 disability rate to 13·3% (22/165).
At end of the study, 8·2% of children had discontinued their study at school, and 7·5%
had moved to a remote place to do casual work, while 6·3% stayed at home. 31% of
child patients thought that leprosy caused a negative impact on their daily life. Two
children had a hostile attitude toward society due to the stigma caused by leprosy.
Conclusions: In both high and low endemic areas, as long as there is an infectious
source of leprosy in the family, there is a possibility for children to develop leprosy.
Contact surveys should be done to detect early disease, especially when there are
children in the household.