Objective: To characterize recent epidemiological patterns of leprosy in Vietnam period 2019-2024.
Subjects and methods: This retrospective descriptive study analyzed routinely reported leprosy data from 63 provinces and municipalities in Vietnam. The study focused on annual new case numbers, multibacillary classification, female and child cases, grade 2 disability at detection, number of patients receiving treatment, end-of-year registered cases, registered prevalence, and new case detection rate.
Results: Period 2019-2024, 380 new leprosy cases were documented in Vietnam. Annual new cases declined from 83 in 2019 to 45 in 2024, representing a 45.8% reduction. The new case detection rate decreased from 0.09 to 0.04 per 100,000 population over the same period. Of all newly detected patients, 334 were classified as multibacillary, accounting for 87.89%; 120 were female, accounting for 31.58%; 6 were children, accounting for 1.58%; and 88 presented with grade 2 disability at diagnosis, accounting for 23.16%. The proportion of multibacillary disease remained consistently high, varying from 79.63-93.33, while grade 2 disability ranged from 17.81-29.63%.
Conclusion: Leprosy in Vietnam continued to decline during 2019-2024, with very low new case detection and registered prevalence rates. However, the persistently high proportions of multibacillary disease and grade 2 disability among newly detected cases suggest delayed diagnosis in a considerable proportion of patients. Sustained surveillance, contact examination, early case detection, and training of primary healthcare workers remain essential in the post-elimination period.