Abstract: Objective: To determine the association between the delay of diagnosis of leprosy and grade 2 disability (G2D) in the leprosy patients. Methods: The patients with leprosy were collected through the Leprosy Management Information System in China (LEPMIS) from January 2000 to December 2019. The association between the delay in diagnosis and the disability was analyzed. Results: One hundred and thirty patients with leprosy were collected, including 37 cases with G2D and 93 cases without G2D. There was a significant positive correlation between the delay of diagnosis and G2D (r=0.70, P<0.05). The longer the delay in diagnosis, the higher the risk of G2D is. The prevanlence of G2D in the patients with delay in diagnosis for more than 6 months was 6.64 times higher than that in the patients with delay in diagnosis for less than 6 months. Conclusion: Delay in diagnosis of leprosy is an important risk factor for G2D.

Key words: leprosy, delay of diagnosis, grade 2 disability