Global Programme Managers’ Meeting on Leprosy Control Strategy took place in New Delhi, India

On April 20-22, 2009, the Global Programme Managers’ Meeting on Leprosy Control Strategy took place in New Delhi, India. The meeting was organized by World Health Organization (WHO) and co-sponsored by Nippon Foundation / Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, Tokyo, Japan. Invited by Dr. V Pannikar, Team Leader, Global Leprosy Programme, WHO, Professor Zhang Guocheng, representative of National Leprosy Programme Manager of China, Deputy Director General, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science / National Center for Leprosy Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCLC) participated the meeting. The National Programme Managers responsible for leprosy from 44 countries, representatives of national and international partners and public health and leprosy experts were invited to the meeting. A total number of 123 participants attend the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Dr. S. K. Noorden, former Team Leader of Global Leprosy Programme, WHO.

The main objective of the meeting was to discuss with participants the draft version of Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden Due to Leprosy: 2011 - 2015, and Operational Guidelines-Updated: 2011-2015 in order to obtain consensus and endorsement from all stakeholders for the Strategy and accompanying Operational Guidelines.

During the meeting, Dr. S. K. Noordeen, Professor W. C. S. Smith, Dr. P. Krishnamurthy, Mr. Jose Ramirez, Dr. M. Matsuoka, Professor Baohong Ji, Dr. J. H. Richardus, Dr. P. Saunderson and Dr. Hugh Cross presented Problem Areas in Case Detection, Global Target and Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluation, Strategies for Sustaining Leprosy Expertise in Endemic Countries: What Should be Done? Stigma and Discrimination: A Challenge to Disease Control, Global Drug Resistance Surveillance Network: Current Status and Next Steps, Need for Developing New Drugs for Leprosy Chemotherapy, Chemoprophylaxis with Single Dose Rifampicin for Household Contacts, Sustaining High Quality of Leprosy Services, Investing in Prevention of Disabilities and Rehabilitation respectively.

The participants discussed the Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden Due to Leprosy: 2011 - 2015, and Operational Guidelines-Updated: 2011-2015 and made the consensus and endorsement. During the meeting, reduction the rate of grade 2 disability among new cases by 35% of the baseline (end of 2010) by 2015 was identified as global target of global leprosy programme. National Programme Managers responsible for leprosy made the consensus and commitment that they will do their best to reach the target at country level.

In order to reach the target, the global strategies on leprosy control for coming years should be: 1) Sustain (in some case, need to be built, especially at local levels) political commitment at national and local government levels in all endemic countries; 2) Strengthen routine and referral services within the integrated health systems in all endemic countries; 3) Use new cases with grade-2 disabilities as the main indicator to monitor progress, in addition to the current list of indicators; 4) Implement innovative approaches for case finding in order to reduce delay in diagnosis and occurrence of grade-2 disabilities among new cases, including special efforts to improve control activities for populations living in difficult-to-access and sub-urban areas; 5) Improve quality of clinical services for diagnosis and for the management of acute and chronic complications, including prevention of disabilities / impairments and the provision of rehabilitation services through a well organized referral system; 6) Support all initiatives to promote CBR with special attention given to activities aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their families; 7) Ensure supply of drugs for multidrug therapy (MDT) free of cost and effective distribution systems in all endemic countries; 8) Establish and maintain a surveillance system to prevent and limit development and transmission of resistance to anti-leprosy drugs; 9) Promote development of more effective drugs/regimens to treat leprosy and its complications; 10) Develop sustainable training strategies at global and national levels to ensure availability of leprosy expertise in all endemic countries; 11) Explore the use of chemoprophylaxis in situations where a high proportion of new cases are amongst household contacts; 12) Foster supportive working arrangements with partners at all levels.

Professor Zhang Guocheng made remarks on behalf of National Programme Managers from the Western Pacific Region. Dr. Yu Meiwen from NCLC was also invited to participate the meeting.

The meeting indicated the direction of leprosy activities in coming five years. And it is a new starting point of National Leprosy Control Programme.