"On service training in leprosy” in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Leprosy Mailing List – March 8^th, 2012 

Ref.:    "On service training in leprosy” in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

From:  J Barreto, S. Paulo, Brazil

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Dear Salvatore,

Thank you in advance for sharing this experience of mine about << "on service training in leprosy" >> with the leprosy mailing list readers.

Since 2007, the German leprosy relief association (DAHW) and the Instituto Lauro the Souza Lima (ILSL) have adopted the methodology of "on service training in leprosy", in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil.  The method consists of 3 steps:

First: evaluation of the previous knowledge about leprosy.

Second: a lecture, with explanation of what is, indeed, leprosy, i.e., its epidemiology, microbiology, classifications (Madrid, R&J, WHO), clinical diagnosis, laboratorial findings and differential diagnosis, management of the disease and its reactions, and prevention of incapacities.

Third: supervised practice, with recently diagnosed patients, with sensitivity tests (thermal, pain and tactile), palpation of nerve trunks, collection of skin smears and staining of slides "in loco", and evaluation of their household contacts.

Results of the last year (2011):

Number of "on service trainings": 13.

Number of municipalities which participated: 79. 

Number of health professionals trained: 1031, and among them 261 were physicians.

Number of patients evaluated: 588, and among them 123 (almost 20%) new cases were diagnosed.

The complete results of each work can be seen in the site www.dahwmt.org.br.  Finally, the amount of money which was spent to achievement of this results: less than U$ 70.000,00. 

And I think to myself: what could we do with U$ 1 million?

Regards,

Jaison