Prevention and

Control Program
Updates and
Directions

Program Thrust
To find hidden cases of leprosy and put them
on Multi- Drug Therapy (MDT)

Guide to
ELIMINATE LEPROSY

as PUBLIC HEALTH
PROBLEM

To eliminate leprosy we NEED to

detect ALL patients and cure
them with MDT.
Improving ACCESS to leprosy
diagnosis and treatment is
crucial

This final push to eliminate

leprosy involves:

Making leprosy diagnosis and treatment

available, free of charge, at all health centers.

Enabling every health worker to diagnose and

treat leprosy

Dispelling the fear of leprosy, improving

awareness of its early signs, and motivating
people to seek treatment.

Ensuring that all leprosy patients are cured

The Final Push to Eliminate

Leprosy
Elimination means bringing the disease

burden down to a very low level. This will

lead to a reduction in the source of infection,
so that leprosy is likely to disappear
naturally as it already has in many parts of
the world.

WHO has defined elimination as a

prevalence of less than 1 case per 10,000
inhabitants

PR - Number of ongoing treatment X 10,000

Population

Sangla

Hansens Disease
Ketong

What is leprosy?

Leprosy is COMMUNICABLE
disease caused by
Mycobacteruim leprae by
Dr. Hansen in 1873

It mainly affects NERVES

with skin manifestations

It progresses SLOWLY with

an average incubation
period of 3-15 years

Leprosy can affect all ages

and both sexes

What is leprosy?

Leprosy can be CURED.

MDT kills the bacteria and
stops the spread of the
disease.

Leprosy patients can lead

completely NORMAL LIVES,

If detected early and

treated with MDT, leprosy
will NOT lead to disabilities

It is NOT TRUE
that leprosy is
caused by evil
spirits, eating
certain kinds of
foods, bathing
in the river, or
sudden
exposure to hot
or cold
temperature
(pasma)

TRANSMISSION
Transmission is mainly
airborne.

Leprosy is an infectious
disease directly transmitted
from man to man.

It is acquired through
prolonged exposure.

It is transmitted from one

untreated person to another
via the respiratory tract.

SOURCES OF LEPROSY
INFECTION
1. Untreated leprosy patients
2. Patients who do not take adequate treatment
regularly

These patients most probably transmit the

disease to susceptible individuals through
sneezing or coughing.
Children are considered more susceptible
than adults

PREVENTION AND CONTROL

1.

Treat all known leprosy cases to prevent

infection

2. Young children should avoid direct contact

with untreated patients
3. Practice personal hygiene
4. Maintain body resistance by healthful living:
good nutrition, enough rest and exercise,
clean environment.

How to diagnose leprosy?

Signs of leprosy

A leprosy patient is someone who:

Has a SKIN PATCH or patches with a definite LOSS
OF SENSATION; and has not completed a full
course of treatment with MDT

Leprosy patches

Can be pale or reddish or copper-colored

Can be flat or raised
Do not itch
Usually do not hurt
Lack of sensation to heat, touch, or pain
Can appear anywhere

Signs of leprosy

Pale or slightly reddish patch

(PATCH)

Definite loss of sensation in the patch

(ANESTHESIA)

Signs of damage to nerves

(NERVE DAMAGE)
definite loss of sensation in hands/feet
weakness of muscles of hands/feet/face
visible deformity of hands/feet/face

Diagnosis of leprosy
is mainly based on
clinical signs and symptoms.

Other signs of leprosy are:

Skin lesion(s) with a decrease or

loss of sweating and/or hair growth;

Other signs of leprosy are:

Skin lesion(s) with a decrease or

loss of sweating and/or hair growth;
Constant redness in the eyes from
irritation and dryness;

Other signs of leprosy are:

Skin lesion(s) with a decrease or

loss of sweating and/or hair growth;
Constant redness in the eyes from
irritation and dryness;
Loss of eyebrows and
eyelashes (madarosis);

Other signs of leprosy are:

Skin lesion(s) with a decrease or

loss of sweating and/or hair growth;
Constant redness in the eyes from
irritation and dryness;
Loss of eyebrows and
eyelashes (madarosis);
Nasal congestion / obstruction and
frequent nosebleed;

Other signs of leprosy are:

Collapse of nose bridge;

Other signs of leprosy are:

Collapse of nose bridge;

Enlargement of the breast in males

(gynecomastia);

Other signs of leprosy are:

Collapse of nose bridge;

Enlargement of the breast in males

(gynecomastia);
Mobile or stiff clawing
of fingers and toes;

Other signs of leprosy are:

Collapse of nose bridge;

Enlargement of the breast in males

(gynecomastia);
Mobile or stiff clawing
of fingers and toes;
Chronic ulcers,
usually in the sole of
the foot, palm of the
hands and fingers.

Classification of leprosy
1.

CLINICAL MANIFESTATION
ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF LESION(S)
3 TYPES:

1 patch is
Single Lesion
Paucibacillary
(SLPB)
leprosy

2-5 patches
is
Paucibacillar
y (PB)
leprosy

More than 5
patches is
Multibacillary
(MB) leprosy

Classification of leprosy
Based on:
2.

SKIN-SMEAR RESULT
ANY PATIENT SHOWING A POSITIVE SKIN
SMEAR, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE CLINICAL
CLASSIFICATION, SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED MB
AND TREATED WITH THE MDT REGIMEN FOR MB
LEPROSY.

How to EXAMINE a patient for

leprosy?
Ask about treatment

received in the past

Examine the skin in

daylight or in a well-lit room

Examine the whole body,

taking care to respect the
patients privacy

Ask the patient if the patch

itches. If so, it cannot be
leprosy

Test only one or two skin

patches for sensory loss

If there is a definite loss of

sensation, it is leprosy

A person who has completed a

full course of MDT very rarely
needs further treatment

Look for any visible disability

of eyes, face, hands, and feet

When in doubt about the diagnosis,

always send the patient to the
nearest referral center

If you suspect leprosy

without sensory loss or have
any doubts, please refer.

How to test for Sensory Loss?

Take a pointed object such
as ballpen
Show the person what you are
Repeat the
procedure on
going to do.
normal skin and
Lightly touch the skin with a
on the same patch
pen
again
Ask the person to point to
where they felt the pen
If the person feels
Now ask them to close their
nothing on the
eyes so that they cannot see
skin patch, it is
what you are doing
leprosy
Lightly touch the center of

the most prominent skin patch

Start treatment
and ask them to point to
immediately
where they felt the pen

Treating a case with MDT

Your help is what we need!

How can YOU help eliminate

leprosy in your community?
LOOK out for skin lesions during the routine activities

Diagnose leprosy and START MDT treatment

immediately

Give Accompanied MDT to all patients who cannot

visit the health center regularly

ENCOURAGE patients to complete the full course of

treatment

Keep ADEQUATE stocks of MDT at the health center

How can YOU help eliminate

leprosy in your community?
INFORM

the Community that :

Skin patches without sensation, which DO NOT

ITCH, can be leprosy
Treatment to cure leprosy is available FREE of
charge at all health center
The drugs STOP the spread of leprosy
EARLY treatment prevents disabilities
Patients who have completed treatment are CURED
even if they have deformities
Patients can lead perfectly NORMAL lives

How can YOU help

eliminate leprosy in your
community?
Display posters about leprosy in
public places
Enlist

the support of others

(community leaders, teachers,
religious authorities, and traditional
practitioners ) to SPREAD
POSITIVE MESSAGES ABOUT
LEPROSY

How can you help in the fight

against leprosy?

Recognize that .
Leprosy

is preventable
Leprosy is curable
Free treatment is available
Social discrimination has no place
Leprosy patients deserves respect and dignity

Offer support to the patient and their family,

Lets work
together towards
Leprosy free
Caraga

Thank you for

listening!