Evaluation of the effectiveness of leprosy elimination program under the 11th National Health Development Plan 2012-2016

Abstract

This Evaluating research used quantitative and qualitative methods to evaluate the effectiveness of Leprosy Elimination Programme under the 11^th National Health Development Plan. Epidemiological trends, operational situation and related factors were analysed based on the determined targets and indicators. Overall results revealed satisfactory achievement. The programme had achieved planned targets. The key indicators trend, the number of registered cases/prevalence rate per 10 000 population and the number of newly detected cases/detection rate per 10 000 population, had decreased relevantly. However, there were some challenges related to the key indicators trends of newly detected cases which reflect early detection and treatment together with leprosy transmission in communitites namely 1) the number of children among new cases had decreased while the proportion had oncreased 2) the number of newly detected cases with multibacillary leprosy had decreased while the proportion had increased 3) the number of newly detected cases with disability grade 2 has decreased while the proportion remained higher than the criteria 4) the proportion of newly detected cases who had been early treated was stable and below the criteria. Apart from that, the treatment completion rate was below the criteria. The number of non-Thai newly detected cases had increased. The quantitative and qualitative findings were relevant. In order to enhance the effectiveness of the Leprosy Elimination Programme under the 12^th National Health Development Plan, the author suggest to raise leprosy awareness and perception, strengthen new case detection, reconsider the criteria to determine target area, build personel capacity, suggest and monitor patient’s drug intake, conduct research, and develop operational model and system.