Australian Development Gateway

The Australian Development Gateway (ADG) strives to support members of the development community in their efforts to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region. The site has been created with participation from members of government, private, academia and non-government organisations. User feedback mechanisms have been incorporated to guide future directions of the site. The site is optimised for low bandwidth access to enable the widest participation throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Skip to content

ADG channels:

Information by sector: Health

Sub navigation

ADG TOOLBOX

Other infectious diseases

Current situation of leprosy colonies/leprosaria & their future in China (pdf 100kb)

This article reviews the current situation of leprosy colonies and hospitals in China, based on a national study carried out in 2004.

Key findings of the study included:
- China had 605 leprosy colonies with some 18,175 people affected by leprosy living in them at the end of 2004
- 71·7% of people with leprosy also had various disabilities, in some cases affecting their ability to take care of themselves
- The quality of health care at leprosy colonies was low, due to a decrease in health workers and shortage of medical materials
- Most colonies/leprosaria were located at remote and isolated places with difficult transportation, and most buildings/houses were in danger of collapse due to old age

The paper concludes by making recommendations on ways to improve the quality of life for people living with leprosy in China.

 

Footer: