By Vincent Khonje

Mchinji, May 13, Mana: Despite Malawi attaining elimination status for leprosy, Mchinji district still registers more than one case per 10,000 populations, a situation described as a cause for concern.

National TB and Leprosy Elimination Programme (NTLEP) Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Dickens Chimatiro, said in an interview that the continued detection of cases signals a persistent burden.

“It is a cause for worry. Even though we reached elimination level in 1994, we still have districts reporting more than one leprosy case per 10,000 populations. This means the burden of leprosy remains in these districts. It calls for a concerted effort to reduce it,” said Chimatiro.

According to Chimatiro, Malawi has more than 600 people undergoing treatment for leprosy, currently.

“In terms of new cases, as of 2024, we have registered 367,” he said.

Apart from Mchinji, other districts such as Nkhotakota and Balaka are also registering more than one case per 10,000 populations.

Mchinji District Health Office Public Relations Officer, Owen Chataika, cited several challenges contributing to the situation.

“Some patients travel long distances to access health services at the district hospital. We also face inadequate funding for conducting contact tracing, mobile clinics, and community sensitisation following the cut in USAID aid. Additionally, few health workers have been trained in leprosy management, and the majority of communities are unaware of the disease," said Chataika.

He said as way forward, the district plans to decentralize leprosy clinics and also lobby for more funds for mobile clinics, contact tracing and community sensitization.

Although Malawi achieved elimination of leprosy in 1994, recent statistics show the disease is resurfacing with over 600 people currently on treatment and more than 300 new cases recorded this year.