All provinces and cities are expected to achieve key indicatorsrelated to leprosy elimination by 2015, according to the agency thatprovides technical guidance to hospitals for the national leprosyprevention programme.
There are four main criteria: a leprosyprevalence rate of less than 0.2 per 10,000 population; less than onenew case per 100,000; less than 15 percent degree-two disability amongnew patients; and all medical staff and local authorities should havebasic knowledge of the disease.
Fifty two provinces and cities achieved the four indicators by 2013.
QuangNgai, Binh Dinh, An Giang, Kien Giang, Binh Phuoc, and Tay Ninh hope toachieve them by the end of this year, and the remaining city andprovinces — Ho Chi Minh City, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Gia Lai, and KonTum — by the end of 2015.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen ThiXuyen said that for the purpose they should focus on activities todetect new cases and rehabilitate patients with leprosy.
The rateof new cases decreased from 1.04 per 100,000 in 2004 to 0.29 last year,Assoc Prof Dr Tran Hau Khang, manager of the country's leprosyprevention programme and Director of the National Hospital OfDermato-Venerelogy, told a national meeting on accelerating leprosyelimination held in central Ninh Thuan province on June 25.
Theprevalence rate also fell from 0.10 per 10,000 in 2004 to 0.02. The rateof new patients with degree-two disability dropped from 16.9 percent to16.54 percent, but the speed of change was slow, he said.
The country has 18,000 leprosy patients with degree-two disability, one of the challenges facing the programme, he said.
He called on provinces and cities that have achieved the targets to continue with the programme.
Buta drop in the funding for the programme is causing difficultiesespecially for those provinces and cities planning to achieve thetargets by 2015.
Xuyen called on health officials in provincesand cities to take the initiative to carry out examinations to detectnew cases early, treat patients with free multi-drug therapy, and reducedisabilities.
Dissemination of information about the disease,prevention of disabilities, and rehabilitation should be strengthenedand health officials on the programme should be provided training, sheadded.-VNA
There are four main criteria: a leprosyprevalence rate of less than 0.2 per 10,000 population; less than onenew case per 100,000; less than 15 percent degree-two disability amongnew patients; and all medical staff and local authorities should havebasic knowledge of the disease.
Fifty two provinces and cities achieved the four indicators by 2013.
QuangNgai, Binh Dinh, An Giang, Kien Giang, Binh Phuoc, and Tay Ninh hope toachieve them by the end of this year, and the remaining city andprovinces — Ho Chi Minh City, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Gia Lai, and KonTum — by the end of 2015.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen ThiXuyen said that for the purpose they should focus on activities todetect new cases and rehabilitate patients with leprosy.
The rateof new cases decreased from 1.04 per 100,000 in 2004 to 0.29 last year,Assoc Prof Dr Tran Hau Khang, manager of the country's leprosyprevention programme and Director of the National Hospital OfDermato-Venerelogy, told a national meeting on accelerating leprosyelimination held in central Ninh Thuan province on June 25.
Theprevalence rate also fell from 0.10 per 10,000 in 2004 to 0.02. The rateof new patients with degree-two disability dropped from 16.9 percent to16.54 percent, but the speed of change was slow, he said.
The country has 18,000 leprosy patients with degree-two disability, one of the challenges facing the programme, he said.
He called on provinces and cities that have achieved the targets to continue with the programme.
Buta drop in the funding for the programme is causing difficultiesespecially for those provinces and cities planning to achieve thetargets by 2015.
Xuyen called on health officials in provincesand cities to take the initiative to carry out examinations to detectnew cases early, treat patients with free multi-drug therapy, and reducedisabilities.
Dissemination of information about the disease,prevention of disabilities, and rehabilitation should be strengthenedand health officials on the programme should be provided training, sheadded.-VNA
