Leprosy situation in Thailand.

ABSTRACT

The prevalence rate of leprosy in Thailand was approximately 5 per 1,000 in 1953. Specialized leprosy control programme was first launched in 1956 in Khon-Kaen Province and gradually expanded to cover the whole country in 1972. After successful control, it has been partially integrated in provincial health services in 1971 and fully integrated into primary health care system in 1976. Effective case finding in combination with chemotherapy using WHO multidrug therapy regimen and health education have brought about a decline in the prevalence of the disease to only 0.537 per 1,000 in 1987. However, the estimated prevalence rate by random survey is approximately twice the number of registered cases. Reduction in number of lepromatous leprosy patients, particularly the new cases, decrease in number of patients with deformities caused by leprosy and increased number of patients who voluntarily came to attend at the treatment centres imply the successful control at a certain level. It is then justified to aim at the goal of eradication of leprosy by combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and immunoprophylaxis with antileprosy vaccines in the future.