Evaluation of Effectiveness in implementing Leprosy Elimination Campaigns in High Leprosy- Epidemic Areas in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces / 中华皮肤科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of Leprosy Elimination Compaigns (LEC) integrated with routine case- finding of leprosy in the high leprosy- epidemic areas in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces. Methods Extensive health education of leprosy in the community, training of paramedical workers on leprosy, clue survey and contact survey were carried out to make diagnosis and provide treatment. Results A total of 122 new leprosy cases were detected in 6 high leprosy- epidemic counties through LEC in 1999 with a detection rate of 3.7/100 000, but in contrast, the annual number of newly detected leprosy cases was 67 cases with an average detection rate of 2/100 000 during the period of 3 years before LEC. Among the newly detected leprosy cases, about 47％ were leprosy household contacts. Conclusion LEC combined with routine activities of case finding can improve the detection of the back- log cases in the communities. In the high epidemic areas, especially in the remote and difficult- to- access areas, majority of leprosy cases can be detected through combining active and passive case- finding methods, providing extensive health education, improving leprosy services in skin clinic, leprosy contact and clue surveys.