Dapsone resistant leprosy and its implications for leprosy control programmes

Abstract

The incidence of suspected dapsone-resistant leprosy in the Addis Ababa area is now about 3% per annum of all lepromatous patients under treatment, and this figure may not be atypical of other areas of the world. New (and expensive) treatment programs are needed to prevent the emergence of dapsone-resistant leprosy; and training programs and administration of leprosy control programs need revision to make possible the early diagnosis and correct management of dapsone-resistant cases. This paper suggests some ways in which the problems of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of dapsone-resistant leprosy can be tackled under field conditions. If measures of this type are not undertaken, there is serious risk that the spread of primary dapsone-resistant leprosy will make leprosy control by chemotherapy unattainable.