Summary of China-NLR Leprosy Training Program on Leprosy
( July 31, 2001)

Under the financial support of NLR, the National Training Course on Leprosy Control in China was held during July 19 to 25, 2001 in Changsha, Hunan province, P. R. China by the National Center for STD and Leprosy Control. About 48 participants from provincial institutes of dermatology had attended the training course. Some participants were from newly founded provincial center for disease control.

During 7 days' training program, the experts from National Center for STD and Leprosy Control and Shanghai Hospital for Skin Disease and STD gave lectures to the participants. The lectures were on leprosy history in China and the world, leprosy bacteriology, immunology, transmission, epidemiology, clinical features and classification, examination and diagnosis, chemotherapy, relapse and its management, leprosy reaction and its management, self care on eye, hand and foot affected by leprosy, rehabilitation on leprosy and leprosy surveillance, etc. The participants were given the opportunities of 5 or 10 minutes to ask questions after each lecture. The questions asked by participants were very practical, usually related with daily activities of leprosy control. They were satisfied with experts' answers.
In order to improve participants' knowledge and skill of leprosy control, participants were arranged to go to the field to see leprosy patients. They were divided into 2 groups to practice in turn how to do clinical examination and how to do health care on disabilities affected by leprosy with the help of experts. The participants all were pleased with the way of training, and considered that the clinical practice was very helpful for improving them of knowledge learnt at the classroom.

At the end of the training course, post-training examination was held for the all participants. The questionnaire was designed by the experts. The types of questions included single choice, special term explanation, filling a blank in a sentence about leprosy and false or true choice. All the participants had passed the examination and got the qualified certificates. At the end of the training course, an evaluation of effectiveness on training program was also carried out by questionnaire. About 48 questionnaires were collected. The participants considered that they had learnt a great deal at the training course. Although there were many difficulties, they all thought it is worth while taking this training course under the very hot climate in summer.