Epidemiology of leprosy in relation to control : report of a WHO study group [meeting held in Geneva from 7 to 11 November 1983]

Abstract

Meets the need for practical guidance in monitoring the epidemiological impact of leprosy control procedures, particularly in light of the implementation of multidrug therapy. The opening sections review world data on both descriptive and analytical aspects of leprosy epidemiology in various contexts, including results from specific interventions such as chemotherapy and BCG immunization. The report also covers immunological studies, epidemiological indicators for measuring the impact of control methods and trends in disease dynamics, and operational indicators for monitoring control activities. A few simple essential measures for use as epidemiological and operational indicators are proposed as a minimum requirement for all leprosy control programmes based on multidrug therapy. The report also defines an additional set of indicators that should be used whenever possible