[Leprosy as a cause of physical disability in rural and urban areas of Mali].

We performed a cross-sectional study of populations from two areas of Mali, in May and June 1996. The aim of the study was to assess the extent to which leprosy causes physical disability in Mali. One area was rural (Circle of Bougouni), the other urban (Bamako District). We used a cluster sampling method, with 500 households selected for study in each of the two areas. All members of the households randomly selected were included in the study. For all survey sites, the number of households was proportional to the number of inhabitants. The total study population was 8,175, including 172 cases of physical handicap, 76 in Bamako and 96 in Bougouni. The prevalence of physical handicap was 21 per 1,000 inhabitants (25.3 per 1,000 in rural areas and 17.3 per 1,000 in the city). The difference in the prevalence of physical handicap between the two areas was statistically significant (p = 0.01). Ten per cent of the disabilities were caused by leprosy. The most common causes of disability other than leprosy were trauma and poliomyelitis. Leprosy mostly caused disabilities in rural areas. In both areas, leprosy caused more disabilities in men and boys (64% of cases) than in women and girls. The frequency of disabilities caused by leprosy increased with age, whereas the frequency of handicaps with other causes decreased with age. This study shows that leprosy is still a major cause of disability in countries in which it is endemic, such as Mali. Disability prevention measures and physical rehabilitation programs should be incorporated into the national program for the elimination of epilepsy.