02204nas a2200337 4500000000100000008004100001260004900042653002100091653002000112653003400132653002400166653004200190653001100232653003600243653001200279653002900291653002800320653002300348653003500371653002300406653002400429100001600453700001000469245019900479856005100678300000900729490000700738050001500745520109200760022001401852 2012 d c2012 MarbLEPRA Health in ActionaColchester10aDisabled Persons10aEarly Diagnosis10aEpidemiologic Research Design10aGuidelines as Topic10aHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice10aHumans10aInterdisciplinary Communication10aleprosy10aNational Health Programs10aPatient Care Management10aProgram evaluation10aQuality Assurance, Health Care10aSocieties, Medical10aTechnology Transfer1 aSmith W C S1 aILEP 00aA research strategy to develop new tools to prevent leprosy, improve patient care and reduce the consequences of leprosy. Five year leprosy research strategy approved by ILEP Board October 2011. uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/83/1/00-6015 a6-150 v83 aSMITH 20123 aA Research Strategy to Develop New Tools to Prevent Leprosy, Improve Patient Care and Reduce the Consequences of Leprosy

The Importance:
The Global Leprosy Programme has had a dramatic impact on the prevalence of registered cases of leprosy over the last 20 years through the implementation of short course multi-drug therapy (MDT) treatment. However, further advances in the field of leprosy are hindered by the lack of new tools to address the challenge of apparent persistence in transmission and incidence, and the long-term consequences of the disease.

The Strategy:
This strategy was developed by the Technical Commission of ILEP to provide a framework to prioritise research, to identify the steps needed to develop and implement new tools, and to identify funding gaps. The strategy focuses on applied research, either technology transfer or research to evaluate effectiveness of interventions where there is already proof of principle. More basic research and proof of principle are important but are outside the scope of this five year strategy. a0305-7518