April, the first patients began to leave the Rovisco Pais Hospital, Portugal, with a subsidy allowing them to interact and go back to society.[Other][Europe]
1977
180 patients were registered at the Colónia Rovisco Pais Hospital, Portugal[Other][Europe]
1977
Peru: Leprosy Unit established in the Ministry of Health, under the Directorship of Victor Noria.[Other][Peru, South America]
1977
Tanzania: The National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme (NTLP) launched.[Treatment][Africa, Tanzania]
1977
Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India: "Leprosy is brought under control by intensive and extensive mass scale treatment with modern drugs, especially the sulphones. To encourage patients suffering from leprosy to go in for proper treatment, intensive health education and propaganda is undertaken. The Assistant Leprosy Officer, Aurangabad is in charge of the Aurangabad division. He works under the Deputy Director of Public Health Services Aurangabad division." Source: Maharashtra State Gazetteer, Aurangabad District. Bombay: Gazetteers Department, Gov of Maharashtra, 1977. 1st edn: 1884. 2nd edn (rev): 1977, p. 791.[Treatment][India]
1978
The Eleventh International Leprosy Congress held in Mexico (President ILA: Jacinto Convit)[Conference/Congress][Central America]
1978
Adoption of Municipal Wards for Control Work amongst NGOs in Bombay (SEL) (Dongre, ILA History Workshop, July 2000, 8)[Other][India]
1978
On December 18, 1978, the government of Orissa decided on the establishment of a leprosy control unit by the Damien Foundation at Chhatrapur in the Ganjam district.[Other][India]
1978
McKean Leprosy HospitalA significant contribution began in 1978 when the Institute employed a trained social worker with psychology and counselling skills to head up the Social Welfare Department. He took over the assessments of the patients, and began visiting or contacting their families to evaluate the reality of, and causes of, the stigma. Many more people were empowered to go home and were assisted in their re-entry into society. By 1980, the only long-term residents at the Institute were the "unrehabilitatable" - physically disabled, or so socially removed from their former life that return was impossible. Confusion was now occurring in McKean when new "short-term" rehab patients were admitted, and mingled with some of these longtimers. The newcomers were getting the wrong message that McKean was a place where they could stay forever in a happy pleasant atmosphere - the colony mentality was still alive and well. A separation of types of ministry was needed, relocating all of those needing residential care to the "women’s village", a kilometer away, renamed Buraphaniwet Village for the Elderly Disabled , and leaving only the rehabilitation candidates in the former "men’s section" near the hospital. Buraphaniwet Village has a capacity for 100 people with a waiting list of potential members (ex-residents becoming too old to cope with life in the resettlement villages. (In the future, it will eventually become a retirement village, especially for the disabled. By 2003, there are already 11 non leprosy people there because of cerebrovascular accidents or "strokes", for whom adequate care at home is not possible). Dr Trevor Smith (McKean Rehab Center, Chiangmai, Nth Thailand)[Leprosarium][Siam]
1978
MakogaiSister Mary Stella, SMSM, Makogai - Image of Hope: a brief history of the care of leprosy patients at Fiji . Christchurch, Pegasus Press, 1978.[Leprosarium][Fiji]
1979
Goa, India: "there is a Leprosy Hospital at Macasana having a bed strength of 150. The hospital was set up for the purpose of isolation of infective cases and rehabilitation of others. With the aim to control the disease, detection of early cases and mass treatment with sulphone is carried out. A Para-Medical officer is attached to this Primary Health Care Centre." Source: Gazetteer of the Union Territory: Goa, Daman and Diu District Gazetteer, Part 1: Goa. Ed. Dr V T Gun. Panaji: Gazetteer Department, Gov of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, 1979, p. 725.[Treatment][India]
1979
Daman and Diu, India: "Surveys are conducted to detect cases of leprosy and these are then registered for treatment. A SET centre conducts the activities included in this programme. Detection of early cases and mass treatment with sulphone is carried out with the aim of controlling the disease. A Para-medical officer it attached to the Primary Health Centre." Source: Gazetteer of the Union Territory: Goa, Daman and Diu. District Gazatteer. Part 2: Daman & Part 3: Diu. Ed. Dr V T Gune. Panaji: Gazetteer Department, Gov of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, 1979, p. 106.[Treatment][India]
1979
Bhandara, India: "Leprosy is a dangerous disease that causes deformations amongst the persons affected The intensive efforts for the control of the disease are undertaken through the out-patient treatment. To encourage patients suffering from leprosy to go in for proper treatment as early as possible, without fear or shame, intensive health and education propaganda was undertaken throughout the SET units and leprosy subsidiary centres. The two ... viz, Sakoli and Gondia have a large number of lepers. Three leprosy subsidiary centres at Sakoli, Gondia and Bhandara and five survey, education and treatment units at Tumsar, Anjuni-Morgaon, Pauni, Tirori and Gondia were established. During the Second Plan period, three centres surveyed 41,634 persons, detected 15,892 cases, treated 2,804 persons. The leprosy incidence per thousand for the district was put at 15.08 as against 10.65 for Nagpur division." Source: Government of Maharashtra. Maharashtra State Gazetteers: Bhandara District. Bombay: Gazetteer Dept, Government of Maharashtra, 1979 (1st ed 1908) (2nd revised 1978), p. 655.[Epidemiology][India]
1979
Macasanathere is a Leprosy Hospital at Macasana having a bed strength of 150. The hospital was set up for the purpose of isolation of infective cases and rehabilitation of others. With the aim to control the disease, detection of early cases and mass treatment with sulphone is carried out. A Para-Medical officer is attached to this Primary Health Care Centre. ' Source: Gazetteer of the Union Territory: Goa, Daman and Diu District Gazetteer, Part 1: Goa, ed Dr V T Gun. Panaji: Gazetteer Department, Gov of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, 1979: p. 725.[Leprosarium][India]
1979
Syllabus for under-graduate medical students by GMLF and MCI (Dongre, ILA History Workshop, July 2000, 8)[Other][India]
1979
Human trials with ICRC Anti-leprosy Vaccine began in Mumbai. (Bhatki, Report on Anti-Leprosy Activities in Mumbai, 4)[Treatment][India]
1979
During April 13-18, 1979, a WHO workshop was held at Olatpur in Cuttack.[Other][India]
1980
ICRC Vaccine (Dongre, ILA History Workshop, July 2000, 8)[Treatment][India]
1980
On May 8, 1980, a seminar at Capital Hospital was attended by 110 doctors.[Other][India]
1980
"After 30 years of active prevention and control, by 1980, 250,000 patients were cured with dapsone monotherapy (DDS), and there were still 80,000 registered active patients remaining, with a prevalence of less than 1/10,000. (Professor Yin Dakui, Vice Minister of Health, the People's Republic of China, "Achievements and Prospect on Leprosy Prevention and Control in China", September 7, 1998, Bejing)[Epidemiology, Treatment][China]
1980
"After the 1980s, taking into consideration the uneven development of prevention and control measures, positive and also passive modes of detection were carrie dout in combination; according to local conditions, different emphasises were given; the incentive scheme was adopted to encourage self reporting or notification; and monitoring and follow up of cured patients were implemented." (Professor Yin Dakui, Vice Minister of Health, the People's Republic of China, "Achievements and Prospect on Leprosy Prevention and Control in China", September 7, 1998, Bejing)[Other][China]
1980
Peru: Dr Smsaricq, head of the leprosy program of the WHO, visited Peru. He advocated setting up a permanent advisory commission and a national scientific committee to promote and evalute leprosy research. Also, he recommended the use of MDT. Source: Marcos Cueto and Julio Núñes, "Leprosy in Peru: a general description of historical developments" ( reseach funded by the ILA project) 14 August 2006.[Other][Peru, South America]
1980
McKean Leprosy HospitalThe Annual case detection rate began to decline in 1977 - this was true for the whole country, and is probably the result of many factors. BCG vaccination given at birth, improved health, hygiene and sanitation, which boosted the immune status as it combatted hookworm and other parasite infestations, and raised the nutritional status of the ordinary person. The Government leprosy control program and their integrated policy undoubtedly was a major factor, with better case control and follow-up of patients, and a better understanding of therapeutic principles and the nature of leprosy reactions (ENL and Reversal reactions were formerly blamed on "drug allergies" and the medication was stopped or drastically reduced, resulting in very irregular therapy, low dosages, and basically DDS monotherapy). The decline in leprosy numbers, and the reduction in surgical needs as the backlog of patients suitable for surgery was dealt with, meant a reduction in leprosy workload, and the threat of insufficient work to challenge future physiotherapists and occupational therapists. With the advent of MDT in 1982, the case-load was further reduced. McKean medical leadership recognized the need for strategic planning for the future, and was asked by the Board to review options. They surveyed the needs and existing service provisions in north Thailand. Options for a change were considered (general hospital, combined TB/leprosy program, AIDS, specialist eye/ear hospital). Extended rehabilitation for the physically disabled was an untouched area where much more could be done with our expertise and staff skills. McKean could thus maintain expertise for future generations of leprosy patients, and at the same time treat physical problems like spinal cord injuries, cerebral problems (strokes, head injuries, encephalitis, etc), and polio, congenital deformities or limb injuries, where our experience with leprosy would be relevant to helping these other conditions. Dr John Bender, a rehabilitation expert from Ogden, Utah, visited and conducted a seminar on basic rehab methods, and gave advice on the type of facilities we needed to have to run a successful rehab center, and the name was again adjusted in 1988 to McKean Rehabilitation Center , omitting all reference to leprosy, but fully intending to integrate leprosy patients with other patients, as leprosy was still our "first love" and main reason for existence. Dr Trevor Smith (McKean Rehab Center, Chiangmai, Nth Thailand)[Leprosarium][Siam]
1981
4 million estimated cases in India in M D Gupte, "Leprosy: Epidemiology" in IADVL Textbook of Atlas of Dermatology vol 1 2nd ed, 2001: 1543[Other][India]
1981
PuriIn 1981, Dr D S Chaudhry, the medical adviser to the German Leprosy Relief Association visited Orissa in 1979-1980 and laid the infrastructure for a project at Puri. The Puri Urban Leprosy Project was established in May 1981, covering the Puri Municipality.[Leprosarium][India]
1981
June 15 - Prime Minister Indira Gandhi call for Eradication of Leprosy by the year 2000. (Dongre, ILA History Workshop, July 2000, 9)[Other][India]
1981
Sungai BulohDuring the fourteen years until August 1981, when this collaborative project between the Malaysian Ministry of Health and the British Medical Research Unit continued, some one hundred papers were published by members of the research unit staff in various medical and scientific journals. A. Joshua-Raghavar, Leprosy in Malaysia: Past, Present and Future , ed. Dr K Rajagopalan (A Joshua-Raghavar: Sungai Buluh, Selangor, West Malaysia, 1983): 8-9[Leprosarium][Malaysia]
1981
Mumbai - newer drugs like Clofazimine and Rifamycin were included in chemotherapy of leprosy with DDS. Trials with these multiple drugs in different regimen began in all organisations. Government of India changed NLCP to NLEP with emphasis on MDT by regularising dosage and duration of treatment. (Bhatki, Report on Anti-Leprosy Activities in Mumbai, 4)[Treatment][India]
1981
KhokanaThe leprosarium was still active, and was the site of a study of ocular complications in leprosy, which were found to occur in 74.2% of the patients. Source: Bhagavat P. Nepal, and Ujjowala D. Shrestha, "Ocular findings in leprosy patients in nepal in the era of multidrug therapy", American Journal of Ophthalmology , 137.5 , (May 2004): 888-92.[Leprosarium][Nepal]
1981
MDT in two districts, 40 lakhs patients in India (Dongre, ILA History Workshop, July 2000, 3)[Treatment][India]