A Survey of Leprosy amongst the Lovale Tribe in the Upper Zambesi Basin, Northern Rhodesia

Abstract

An extensive health survey, with special reference to an epidemiological study of leprosy, amongst the Lovale tribe who live in the upper Zambesi basin has been carried out. A considerable part of their tribal area is in Angola, and that part which is in Northern Rhodesia comprises about half of what is known as the Balovale district. This district lies in the extreme northwest corner of Northern Rhodesia and is bounded on the north and west by Portuguese West Africa (Angola). Until 1941, Balovale was administratively the northern section of Barotseland, It is isolated from the main towns and separated from the railway by 450 miles of sparsely populated bush country. Balovale district lies between latitude 13° and 14° 12' at an altitude of 3,200 to 3,500 feet and the temperature varies from 102° F. to 55° F. There is an average rainfall of 35 to 40 inches and a well-defined wet and dry season, the rainy season being from November to April and the dry season from May to October.