LUANDA, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Angola has 1,917 leprosy patients undergoing treatment, with about 700 new cases each year, as reported Monday by the Angolan national coordinator of the Leprosy Control and Combat Program Ernesto Afonso, cited by Angola Press Agency, a local media outlet.
In light of World Leprosy Day, Ernesto Afonso explained that Angola's total number of leprosy patients corresponds to an average prevalence rate of 0.53 per 10,000 inhabitants.
Afonso stated that diagnoses are made late because most patients appear for consultations when second-degree deformities arise.
World Leprosy Day is observed internationally every year on the last Sunday of January to increase public awareness of leprosy or Hansen's disease.
According to the official website of the World Health Organization, leprosy is a neglected tropical disease that still occurs in more than 120 countries, with more than 200,000 new cases reported each year.
