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Global Leprosy Meeting
The Global Program Managers’ Meeting on Leprosy
Control Strategy for 2011- 2015 was held in New Delhi from April 20. The programme
managers from 42 endemic countries, experts, partners and representatives of
the people affected by the disease deliberated on the situation, the recent
scientific developments and the work plan for the next five years.
The
three-day meeting was inaugurated by Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang, Regional
Director, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office, and attended by Mr. Yohei
Sasakawa, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Elimination of Leprosy and Chairman of
The Nippon Foundation.
The
delegates discussed the Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the
Disease Burden due to Leprosy 2011 – 2015 and the updated Operational
Guidelines 2011 – 2015. They agreed on a numerical global target of 35%
reduction in the number of patients being detected with Grade II (visible)
deformity.
The problems
in case detection, deformity in leprosy, global target, indicators for
monitoring and evaluation, strategies for sustaining leprosy expertise in
endemic countries, need for developing new drugs for leprosy chemotherapy and
chemoprophylaxis with single dose rifampicin were also discussed at the
meeting.
All
partners pledged to work together for further reducing the leprosy burden
globally.
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