RIHFW Kashmir
Orientation Training's for Leprosy Elimination Campaigns
One of the designated goals of "Health For All by 2000" was to achieve elimination of Leprosy as a public health problem by the year 2000, i.e. bringing the leprosy prevalence rate to less than 1 per 10,000 population. Although the rate in India was drastically reduced from 57 in 1981 to 5.5 in 1998, it became evident that to achieve the goal in time, some urgent measures needed to be taken. This realization led to development of a new strategy, Modified Leprosy Elimination Programme (MLEP), which entails massive public awareness about the disease, orientation of all health officials in different aspects of diagnosis and treatment, house-to-house search of the whole population within a period of 6 days to detect the hidden cases of leprosy with the aim of treatment and cure as early as possible. Mini-Leprosy Elimination Campaigns (MLEC) form part of the broader strategy.
Orientation training of all health staff is crucial to the success of MLEC. Elimination of leprosy requires an early detection and immediate treatment, and community diagnosis depends on high awareness among health workers and equally high motivation in the public.
Regional Institute at Dhobiwan has been helping in this campaign by arranging orientation training of senior district trainers since the beginning of MLEC in the Province. The first such orientation was held in October 2000 and the 2nd on October 7, 2001 in which 76 and 83 CMO's, DHO's, BMO's and other senior district officers participated. The 2nd workshop was attended, among others, by the eminent dermatologist, Prof. G H Hajini, whose sessions were especially helpful in refining the diagnostic skills. The Assistant Director Leprosy discussed district action plans with the concerned district health managers. The 3rd and 4th workshops were held in 2002 and 2003 in which more than 150 participants took part.
Table XI: Training curriculum of orientation for M.L.E.C.' s:
- Leprosy: Epidemiology and modes of transmission
- Social, economic, and cultural barriers to the elimination of leprosy
- Clinical features and classification of leprosy: implications for management
- National leprosy eradication programme (NLEP) and Leprosy elimination campaigns (LEC's): impact of mini-leprosy elimination campaigns (MLEC's) on leprosy eradication
- Multidrug therapy (MDT) and its role in leprosy eradication.