The Global Leprosy Programme (GLP) has started to prepare the strategic directions for the global leprosy control activities during the next five-year period (2011-2015). 

In order to review the challenges and opportunities, the GLP organised an informal consultation, involving a small group of experts 17^th -18^th September 2008 in New Delhi, India. 

The meeting resulted in a number of recommendations on key technical, operational and strategic areas that will need to be re-visited or introduced in developing the “Enhanced Strategy for Reducing Leprosy Burden in Endemic Countries: 2011 – 2015”. 

The Enhanced Strategy should be seen as the logical continuation of the previous strategies implemented by the WHO, particularly the current one “Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Leprosy Burden and Sustaining Leprosy Control Activities: 2006-2010” and the accompanying “Operational Guidelines”. Here, I take the opportunity to put on record my profound appreciation to the members and experts of the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP) for their critical support and collaboration in the development and implementation of the global strategy in endemic countries.

The Enhanced Strategy will maintain the concepts and guiding principles elaborated in the current strategy and identify critical areas for enhancement during the 2011-2015 period. In this endeavour, the GLP is fortunate to have the support of its key partners, particularly the Nippon Foundation and Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, as well as from technical and field experts from around the world, who are committed to improving leprosy control activities. The GLP is particularly grateful to Dr S K Noordeen, former Head of the WHO Leprosy Programme, for his commitment to assisting the GLP in developing the Enhanced Strategy.

There are several reasons for embarking on this task at this point in time. The GLP’s aim is to ensure full involvement and participation of all stake-holders, including National Programme Managers, associations of persons affected by leprosy (PALs), experts   and members of ILEP, in every step of the development process and in building consensus along the way as we reach the end of 2010. It also gives the opportunity to devote sufficient time and efforts for advocating the Enhanced Strategy to gain necessary political commitment from the decision makers and professional support from the field workers, who will be actually implementing the Enhanced Strategy in endemic countries.

The GLP is currently in the process of setting up a Working Group to prepare the first draft of the proposed “Enhanced Strategy for Reducing Leprosy Burden in Endemic Countries: 2011 – 2015”. The draft will be circulated widely for comments and suggestions by the end of 2008 or at the latest in January 2009. 

A global meeting of selected national programme managers (NPMs) from all WHO regions, experts and members of ILEP and its Technical Commission, and other partners, is scheduled for 20^th – 22^nd April 2009, in New Delhi, India. We are optimistic that the global meeting will be co-sponsored by the Nippon Foundation. The main agenda of the global meeting will be to discuss the second draft of the Enhanced Strategy (revised after comments and suggestions received on the first draft), particularly its key components identified for enhancement. The GLP’s expectation is that a final strategy document, agreed by all participants, will be available at the end of the meeting.

Dr Vijaykumar Pannikar, Team Leader, Global Leprosy Programme, World Health Organization
E-mail: Pannikarv@searo.who.int

 

Click on link to download Consultation Report (Informal Consultation on Innovative Approaches to Further Reduce Leprosy Burden in Countries, 17th - 18th September 2008, New Delhi, India) 

Categories: International Collaboration, Technical information