In Ethiopia, cutaneous leishmaniasis is primarily caused by Leishmania aethiopica. There is a major prevalence gap in study areas. Hence, this study assessed the trends of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the western part of Ethiopia. A three-year retrospective study (09 October 2018 to 31 January 2022) was conducted by extracting information from the national leishmaniasis register for patients visiting the Nekemte Specialized Hospital (NSH) treatment center, Nekemte, Western Ethiopia. A standard data abstraction checklist was used to review Leishmaniasis records. Data were extracted from national leishmaniasis cases registration book by principal investigators and summarized using Microsoft Excel. All data were entered and analyzed using the Excel Microsoft office package. A total of 64 patients were treated for cutaneous leishmaniasis in the area during the study period. Most of the cases were among those aged 15-24 years (39.1%) while extreme age groups reported the least. One-fourth (17, 26.56%) of CL cases were reported in January followed by August (10, 15.63). The most affected age group are those 15-24 years and those from rural communities. January is months most cases reported and late coming to treatment and needs awareness creation.

Keywords: Trends, Cutaneous leishmaniasis, western Ethiopia, Nekemte Specialized Hospital.