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SL eliminates leprosy at national level

by Nadira Gunatilleke

Seven South East Asian countries including Sri Lanka have eliminated leprosy at national level before the target date of December 31, 2000, Dr. Derek Lobo of the World Health Organisation, said.

Addressing the intercountry meeting of national programme managers for leprosy elimination in Colombo from November 19 to 21, Dr. Lobo said Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Maldives, Thailand and Sri Lanka have to progress towards areas with prevalence above 1/10,000 population and thereafter need assistance to eliminate leprosy in the remaining areas.

Sri Lanka achieved the leprosy elimination goal in 1995. At that time, nine provinces were yet to achieve the elimination level. As of December 2001, two out of these three provinces were yet to achieve the elimination goal. The prevalence rate in Sri Lanka increased in 2001 from 0.6 to 0.8/10,000 population. Though this is still below the 1/10,000 threshold, it would be useful to find out the reasons for the increase.

Dr. W.A.S. Settinayake, heading the Sri Lankan delegation at the intercountry meeting of national programme managers for leprosy elimination held here, said that the prevalence rate in Sri Lanka increased in 2001 from 0.6 to 0.8/10,000 population following the successful publicity campaign launched by the Government through the media. About 60 per cent of leprosy patients detected in 2001 have now completely recovered and about 1,015 new patients have been detected up to June 2002, he added.

Sri Lanka is the first country in the region to achieve 100 per cent coverage with multi drug therapy in 1983.

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