Leprosy and Primary Health Care

Abstract

If all goes well with the development of 'Health Care for All by the year 2000 ' , and current estimates of the prevalance of leprosy are approximately correct , and no dramatic changes take place in leprosy control technology , then we can expect that the number of leprosy patients under treatment will triple to about 1 2 million in the next 1 9 years . Clearly, most of the work for treating these cases will have to be done by Primary Health Care (PHC) workers . This need not be the disaster some fear it could indeed be the greatest thing ever to happen for the cause of leprosy control provided the leprosy health pro­ fessionals grasp the opportunity being presented . The challenge to us is to determine exactly what role PHC workers can play in leprosy patient care , and to set out to train them or more likely train others to train them to fulfill that role . This paper defines a role for PHC workers in leprosy patient care , and outlines the essential components of a training programme to equip them to fulfiII that role . It is based on the assumptions that PHC workers will be supported by an effective system of supervision, and will have the possi­ b ility of referring cases beyond their competence to a formal health service unit . It also assumes that while PHC worker trainees may not be fully l iterate , even in a vernacular, they wiII at least be able to recognize colour photographs as an acceptable abstraction of reality . This paper is not definitive . It is intro­ ductory . It is a hypothesis intended to stimulate experimentation and the development of a valid theory and practice in PHC worker training in leprosy .