Full Text (29 pp, PDF, 419 Kb)
- Acronyms
- Executive summary
- Brief description of the disease
1. Introduction
1.1 Major achievements of the elimination strategy
1.2 Background and justification
2. Current situation
2.1 Global
2.2 WHO regions
2.3 Major challenges
3. Basic concepts and guiding principles of the Global Strategy
3.1 Leprosy control activities
3.2 Key issues
3.3 Guiding principles
3.4 Goal
3.5 Main objectives
4. Sustaining leprosy control activities
4.1 Reasons to sustain leprosy control activities
4.2 Activities to sustain leprosy control
4.3 Mechanisms for sustaining leprosy control activities
4.4 Importance of integration in relation to sustainability
4.5 Activities which should be integrated
5. Strategic issues
5.1 Epidemiological situation
5.2 Difficult/disaster situations
5.3 Operational issues
5.4 Equity and social justice
5.5 Patient care
5.6 Research
5.7 Partnership
6. Indicators for monitoring and evaluation
6.1 Main indicators for monitoring progress
6.1.1 Number and rate of new cases detected per year
6.1.2 Treatment completion/cure rate
6.2 Additional indicators for case detection
6.3 Indicators for patient management and follow-up
7. Leprosy surveillance system
7.1 Reporting system
7.2 Programme review
7.3 Drug supply database
8. Expected outcomes by 2010
9. Bibliography
 Operational Guidelines
PAHO Leprosy Page |
WHO Leprosy Page
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(World Health Organization, 2005)
Executive Summary
The main principles of leprosy control, based on timely detection of new cases and their treatment with effective chemotherapy in the form of multidrug therapy (MDT), will not change over the coming years. The emphasis will remain on providing quality patient care that is equitably distributed, affordable and easily accessible. At the moment, there are no new technical tools or information that warrant any drastic changes in the strategy for leprosy control.
However, there is an urgent need to make decisive changes in the organization of leprosy control, in the attitude of health-care providers and beneficiaries, and in the working arrangements between all partners.
The main elements of the strategy are as follows:
- Sustain leprosy control activities in all endemic countries.
- Use case detection as the main indicator to monitor progress.
- Ensure high-quality diagnosis, case management, recording and reporting in all endemic communities.
- Strengthen routine and referral services.
- Discontinue the campaign approach.
- Develop tools and procedures that are home/community-based, integrated and locally appropriate for the prevention of disabilities/impairments and for the provision of rehabilitation services.
- Promote operational research in order to improve implementation of a sustainable strategy.
- Encourage supportive working arrangements with partners at all levels.
This strategy will require endorsement and commitment from everyone working towards the common goal of controlling leprosy, to ensure that the physical and social burden of the disease continues to decline throughout the world.
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