Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease?
The introduction, implementation, successes and failures of multidrug therapy (MDT) in all Hansen's disease endemic countries are discussed in this paper. The high efficacy of leprosy treatment with MDT and the global reduction of prevalence led the World Health Organization, in 1991, to establ...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
2012-12-01
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| Series: | Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762012000900003&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1797712689868308480 |
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| author | Sinésio Talhari Maria Aparecida de Faria Grossi Maria Leide WDR de Oliveira Bernardo Gontijo Carolina Talhari Gerson Oliveira Penna |
| author_facet | Sinésio Talhari Maria Aparecida de Faria Grossi Maria Leide WDR de Oliveira Bernardo Gontijo Carolina Talhari Gerson Oliveira Penna |
| author_sort | Sinésio Talhari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The introduction, implementation, successes and failures of multidrug therapy (MDT) in all Hansen's disease endemic countries are discussed in this paper. The high efficacy of leprosy treatment with MDT and the global reduction of prevalence led the World Health Organization, in 1991, to establish the goal of elimination of Hansen's disease (less than 1 patient per 10,000 inhabitants) to be accomplished by the year 2000. Brazil, Nepal and East Timor are among the few countries that didn't reach the elimination goal by the year 2000 or even 2005. The implications of these aspects are highlighted in this paper. Current data from endemic and previously endemic countries that carry a regular leprosy control programme show that the important fall in prevalence was not followed by the reduction of the incidence. This means that transmission of Mycobacterium leprae is still an issue. It is reasonable to conclude that we are still far from the most important goal of Hansen's disease control: the interruption of transmission and reduction of incidence. It is necessary to emphasize to health managers the need of keeping Hansen's disease control activities to better develop control programmes in the future. The recent international proposal to interrupt the transmission of leprosy by the year 2020 seems to unrealistic and it is discussed in this paper. The possibility of epidemiological impact related to the human immunodeficiency virus/Hansen's disease coinfection is also considered. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:24:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8f24fad681b4320995a41fbe9715494 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1678-8060 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:24:27Z |
| publishDate | 2012-12-01 |
| publisher | Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8f24fad681b4320995a41fbe97154942023-09-02T22:11:06ZengFundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz1678-80602012-12-01107suppl 1131610.1590/S0074-02762012000900003S0074-02762012000900003Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease?Sinésio TalhariMaria Aparecida de Faria GrossiMaria Leide WDR de OliveiraBernardo GontijoCarolina TalhariGerson Oliveira PennaThe introduction, implementation, successes and failures of multidrug therapy (MDT) in all Hansen's disease endemic countries are discussed in this paper. The high efficacy of leprosy treatment with MDT and the global reduction of prevalence led the World Health Organization, in 1991, to establish the goal of elimination of Hansen's disease (less than 1 patient per 10,000 inhabitants) to be accomplished by the year 2000. Brazil, Nepal and East Timor are among the few countries that didn't reach the elimination goal by the year 2000 or even 2005. The implications of these aspects are highlighted in this paper. Current data from endemic and previously endemic countries that carry a regular leprosy control programme show that the important fall in prevalence was not followed by the reduction of the incidence. This means that transmission of Mycobacterium leprae is still an issue. It is reasonable to conclude that we are still far from the most important goal of Hansen's disease control: the interruption of transmission and reduction of incidence. It is necessary to emphasize to health managers the need of keeping Hansen's disease control activities to better develop control programmes in the future. The recent international proposal to interrupt the transmission of leprosy by the year 2020 seems to unrealistic and it is discussed in this paper. The possibility of epidemiological impact related to the human immunodeficiency virus/Hansen's disease coinfection is also considered.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762012000900003&lng=en&tlng=enleprosyMycobacterium lepraetherapy |
| spellingShingle | Sinésio Talhari Maria Aparecida de Faria Grossi Maria Leide WDR de Oliveira Bernardo Gontijo Carolina Talhari Gerson Oliveira Penna Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease? Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz leprosy Mycobacterium leprae therapy |
| title | Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease? |
| title_full | Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease? |
| title_fullStr | Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease? |
| title_short | Hansen's disease: a vanishing disease? |
| title_sort | hansen s disease a vanishing disease |
| topic | leprosy Mycobacterium leprae therapy |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762012000900003&lng=en&tlng=en |
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