Leprosy elimination campaigns : impact on case detection : Introduction

Overview

Leprosy elimination campaigns (LECs) are being conducted in highly endemic countries with the aim of improving peripheral-level health services to provide patients with easy access to diagnosis and treatment. The three main objectives of the campaigns are: to build capacity for local health workers; to increase public awareness of the disease and involve the community in various leprosy elimination activities; and to diagnose cases that, for various reasons, have remained undetected in the community, and provide free multidrug therapy (MDT) to ensure that patients are cured.

Most endemic countries carried out a single round of LECs. In some countries, however, LECs were repeated ñ particularly in areas where routine activities are weak ñ to further strengthen the integration of leprosy services and improve community awareness.

The three objectives of the LECs, initiated in 1995, were adapted by national programmes in the light of local needs and conditions. As a result of capacity-building and awareness-promotion activities, a large number of new cases were diagnosed during campaigns and MDT treatment was started promptly.