Surveillance data and progress assessment of the targets of the WHO Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020: A retrospective registry-based analysis in Ghana.

Authors

Anna Katharina Njillo, Stephen Adom Boateng, Till Omansen, Ruth Ansah, Johannes Mischlinger, Michael Ramharter, Benedict Okoe Quao, Mirjam Groger

Published in

PLoS neglected tropical diseases. Volume 20. Issue 8. Pages e0014604. Aug 10, 2026. Epub Aug 10, 2026.

Abstract

The WHO Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020 aimed at early detection of new leprosy cases, reduction of grade-2 disabilities (G2D), and stopping any discrimination of people afflicted with leprosy while pointing out the importance of leprosy control programmes. In this retrospective study, data obtained from the Ghanaian National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP) prior to the Covid-19 pandemic were analysed and compared with the key targets of the Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020.
Demographic as well as clinical data from the registry of the Ghanaian NLCP from 2017 to 2019 were reviewed and described. Evaluated targets and indicators for WHO programme monitoring included new case detection rates, proportion of new cases with G2D, biological sex, paediatric cases, proportions of multibacillary (MB) and paucibacillary (PB) cases and treatment completion rates. Data were further categorized according to region and year. A total of 816 new leprosy cases were evaluated in this analysis. Of these, 358 (43.9%) were female cases and 33 (4. 0%) were paediatric cases. While the annual new case detection rate per 100,000 population in Ghana was 0.86 in 2017, 0.93 in 2018, and 0.90 in 2019, individual regions, particularly the Upper West Region, remained consistently above the threshold of 1 new case per 100,000 (4.32, 4.71, 6.12). Of all new cases, 7.6% (n = 62) presented with G2D, the rate remained <1 per million population in each of the three years. One paediatric G2D case was reported in 2019. Annual treatment completion rates of MB and PB cases were well over 90% in 2017 and 2018.
The NLCP made partial progress towards the WHO targets. While the analysis demonstrates that Ghana was on track regarding the elimination of leprosy, the presence of one paediatric case with G2D at diagnosis highlights the need for continued targeted interventions and enhanced surveillance to achieve elimination goals.

PMID:
42574492
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 11 Aug 2026.

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