Vietnam targets leprosy elimination by 2010

The country's leprosy elimination standard set by the Health Ministry is less than one case per 100,000 inhabitants, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Friday.

Under a new plan on wiping out the disease, the country is consolidating the existing diagnosis, under which all leprosy treatment establishments implement 12-month multi-chemical therapy for newly-detected sufferers in serious conditions, and six-month one for less critical cases, the newspaper quoted the Central Dermatology and Venereology Institute Tran Hau Khang as saying.

Vietnam is also developing medical facilities nationwide, especially in rural and remote areas. The health sector is seeking different capital sources to improve its medical equipment and treatment conditions for patients, he said.

In addition, Vietnam is promoting training and retraining of local health workers, he said, noting that training programs give priorities to those working at leprosy treatment establishments in localities with high patient percentage.

Vietnam has detected 20 localities, including the central provinces of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Khanh Hoa, and the southern provinces of Kien Giang, Ca Mau and Tay Ninh, in which there are more than one leprosy case among 100,000 residents.

The country reported 0.1 leprosy sufferer among 10,000 local people in 2005, compared with one or less than one case among 10, 000 people under the standard on wiping out the disease set by the World Health Organization.