Frequency and Factors Associated with Disabilities among Leprosy Patients Admitted to the Kindia Disability Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation Centre (Pirp) in Guinea from 2017 to 2021

Trop Med Infect Dis. 2024 Oct 11;9(10):237. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed9100237.

Abstract

This study aims to estimate the prevalence and analyze the factors associated with leprosy-related disabilities at the Kindia Disability Prevention and Physical Rehabilitation Centre (PIRP) in Guinea. It is a cross-sectional study using routine data from the centre from 2017 to 2021. Of 115 patients, 76% had a disability, 49% of which were grade II and 27% grade I. The age range of 15 to 30 years was the most represented (43.5%), with the average age (standard deviation) being 38 (16.5) years. Children under 14 years of age represented 3.5% of the total. Most (89%) patients had newly diagnosed leprosy. The majority (66.1%) had never come in contact with people with leprosy symptoms. Almost all (99.1%) patients had type 1 reactions on admission. Patients with multibacillary leprosy were in the majority (83.5%), and those with symptoms lasting 7-12 months represented 56.5% of the sample. In total, 79.1% of the patients received corticosteroid therapy, and 92.1% were reported cured at discharge. This neglected tropical disease continues to be a challenge in Guinea, even though leprosy care is free.

Keywords: Guinea; diagnosis and treatment; disabilities; leprosy.

Grants and funding

This SORT IT course on NTDs in Guinea was funded by TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO) and implementing partners. TDR is able to conduct its work thanks to the commitment and support from a variety of funders. A full list of TDR donors is available at https://tdr.who.int/about-us/our-donors.