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NEWS: Intercountry Meeting of Natio



Subject: NEWS: Intercountry Meeting of National Programme Managers for Leprosy Elimination Begins

( Source: Information Sheet No.B-1084( I ) 28th September,1999
MYANMAR INFORMATION COMMITTEE, YANGON )

Intercountry Meeting of National Programme Managers for Leprosy
Elimination Begins

A ceremony to open Intercountry Meeting of National
Programme Managers for Leprosy Elimination was held at
the Hotel Equatorial on 27 September with an address
by the Minister for Health. Also present on the
occasion were the directors-general of departments,
rectors, advisers, representatives of WHO Headquarters
in Geneva, and South-East Asian region of WHO, the
Resident Representative of WHO, leprosy elimination
projects managers of nine South-East Asian countries,
local leprosy elimination officials, delegates of
NGOs-- Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation,
Netherlands Leprosy Relief, American Leprosy Mission,
Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Leprosy
Mission International-- and delegates of international
organizations and guests.

The Minister emphasized the fact that Myanmar is one
of the countries in  which leprosy is endemic and due
to this endemicity, Myanmar initiated Leprosy Control
Project activities since 1951 . The project activities
were expanded gradually in a phased manner covering
all the townships in 1969. During the implementation
of the Leprosy Control Programme, WHO provided
technical assistance. UNICEF provided assistance to
the programme from 1956 to 1982. International
Non-Governmental Organizations assisted the programme
in terms of appointing additional staff to strengthen
the existing manpower through WHO from 1967-1976. With
the recommendation of WHO, Multi Drug Therapy was
started in 1988 and 100 percent Multi Drug Therapy
coverage was achieved at the end of 1995 for the whole
country. In 1991, the programme became fully
integrated Leprosy Elimination Programme.

International NGOs such as Sasakawa Memorial Health
Foundation, the Nippon Foundation of Japan, the
American Leprosy Mission, the Netherlands Leprosy
Relief Association, the Leprosy Mission International
and other ILEP member associations assisted the
Leprosy Elimination Programme in Myanmar. Although
leprosy is still endemic in Myanmar, every effort has
been made to implement and provide an integrated Multi
Drug Therapy Service to reach the Global Objective of
Leprosy Elimination by the year 2000. One of the
actions which must be taken to accelerate the case
finding and treatment programme is to conduct "The
National Leprosy Elimination Campaign (NLEC) " on a
national scale in which case finding of hidden cases
and early detection and proper treatment will be
conducted with full community attention. Local NGOs
such as Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association
(MMCWA) and Myanmar Medical Association (MMA) are now
partners in the Leprosy Elimination Programme.
Preparatory activities are already under way to
conduct National Leprosy Elimination Campaign
activities in October and November this year. In
Myanmar as well as other countries there is a marked
reduction of registered prevalence rate, with the
detection of new cases and putting them under Multi
Drug Therapy, leading to total " cure ". With every
country  accelerating their activities to achieve
goals of leprosy elimination, the leprosy prevalence
rate of most countries is approaching 1 per 10,000.
The recommendations and deliberations will further
contribute to reaching the global objective of Leprosy
Elimination by the year 2000. On behalf of the
South-East Asian Regional Director of WHO, Resident
Representative of WHO Dr. Klaus Wagner gave a speech.
Participants will discuss improvement and difficulties
in implementing the leprosy elimination tasks in
1998-99 , suggestions for expediting work of leprosy
elimination in drawing projects for 2000-2001 , public
cooperation in leprosy elimination tasks and exchange
of skill and implementation among international NGOs
and donors. The meeting continues up to 1 October.

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