WHO expert committe on Leprosy: WHO TRS N°874

Overview

 The establishment of the goal of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem has enabled countries where leprosy is endemic to increase their political commitment and priority for leprosy and to organize and intensify antileprosy activities, which in turn has resulted in a major reduction in the prevalence of the disease. The two international conferences on the elimination of leprosy organized by WHO in Hanoi, Viet Nam, in July 1994 (3) and New Delhi, India, in October 1996 ( 4) consolidated political commitment towards leprosy elimination by the countries most affected by the disease. Support for leprosy work from various participating agencies, including both national and international nongovernmental organizations, bilateral agencies and other international organizations, has also greatly contributed to the progress towards global elimination of the disease.

The purpose of this meeting of the Expert Committee on Leprosy was:

• to review the global leprosy situation and the technology available for eliminating the disease;
• to identify the remaining obstacles to reaching the goal of elimi-nating leprosy as a public health problem;
• to make appropriate recommendations for the future on technical and operational matters. 

ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS

• Comité d'experts de la lèpre : septième rapport d' un groupe d' étude de l' OMS [réuni à Genève du 26 mai au 3 juin 1993]