Menstuff® has compiled the following information on
Leprosy & health: Improving access to diagnosis and
treatment
A major priority in the fight against leprosy is improving access to diagnosis and treatment. Training local healthcare staff in the straightforward procedure of identifying the symptoms has immediate benefits, permitting early treatment or referral. Treating the disease as early as possible is crucial, as it enables a cure before the onset of disability or deformity, while also cutting the risk of infection. Clearly, the use of the extended network of general health clinics for this purpose is immensely useful, greatly reducing travel times for those seeking care and in many cases, assisting in continuity of care and patient compliance.
Integration has a number of other advantages. The training that general healthcare staff receive helps to break down any residual anxiety or prejudice about the disease they might have. In a similar way, the existence of leprosy services in general health clinics serves to demystify the disease, reinforcing the idea among local people that leprosy is just another disease, and that the cure is at hand. In this latter respect, the presence of leprosy treatment in widely distributed local clinics is itself a vital component in the social marketing campaigns designed to change the perception of the disease.
Several countries where the disease is still a public health problem, now face a situation where leprosy cases are concentrated in only a few regions. As well as assisting anti-leprosy efforts in these higher prevalence areas by offering greater availability of services, the integrated approach is also useful in the other low prevalence regions. In these, there was a danger that infrequent contact with leprosy on the part of the health services would result in unfamiliarity and a resultant inability to offer care. Making leprosy an integral part of general healthcare training addresses this risk.
Due to the relatively low numbers of leprosy cases, the ease of treatment in a large majority of them and freely available supplies of MDT, the incorporation of leprosy treatment into general services does not make substantial demands on resources. Indeed, with the prospect of rapid progress towards leprosy elimination, the integrated structure is best equipped to offer cost effectiveness as well as sustainability.
Implementing the structural changes of integration has inevitably
offered numerous challenges to national health services, as
established relationships and responsibilities, both personal and
institutional have been altered. The Novartis
Foundation is collaborating with WHO, national health authorities
and other organizations in undertaking integration and
decentralization programs. In a number of areas, most particularly
that of training, the initiatives have meshed closely with the
Foundation's work in communicating information about leprosy and
giving the disease a "positive image".
Source: www.foundation.novartis.com/leprosy/access_diagnosis_treatment_concept.htm
Disclaimer - Information is designed for educational purposes
only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional
services. Any medical decisions should be made in conjunction with
your physician. We will not be liable for any complications, injuries
or other medical accidents arising from or in connection with, the
use of or reliance upon any information on the web.
 |