WHO Expert Committee on Leprosy [meeting held in Geneva from 17 to 24 November 1987] : sixth report

Abstract

Reviews worldwide developments in leprosy research and control that have occurred over the past ten years. Emphasis is plced on knowledge relevant to the success of control operations, particularly in view of the alarming increase of primary and secondary resistance to dapsone. Clinical issues are addressed in the opening sections, which propose changes in case definitions and classifications necessitated by the use of multidrug therapy, discuss ways to improve the collection and processing of skin smears, and outline protocols for the management of drug reactions. Other sections interpret the practical significance of advances in basic biology and immunology, highlighting prospects for the development of an antileprosy vaccine. Of particular practical value is a state-of-the-art review of leprosy chemotherapy, incorporating what has been learned following the widespread introduction of standard regimens for multidrug therapy. In view of the prediction that the number of persons needing care because of disabilities will gradually outnumber those receiving antimicrobial treatment, the report also includes advice on the prevention and management of disabilities, the grading of disabilities to facilitate data collection, and strategies for patient rehabilitation