Integrated Care and Leprosy in India:A Role for Indian Systems of Medicine and Traditional Health Practice in the Eradication of Leprosy

Abstract

The benefits of an integrated approach in the future of leprosy control in India are discussed, by involving professionals from different systems of medicine and coordinated by dermatologists working in the field of community dermatology. The low level of education amongst traditional healers has led to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment, thus emphasizing the importance of health education for patients, families and local practitioners to enable prompt and appropriate treatment. The Indian systems of medicine though supportive do not have the required rehabilitation services. Traditional health practitioners demonstrated an improved knowledge of leprosy on completion of training, and were able to detect and refer suspect cases with only early signs of disease.

The Skin—A Common Pathway for Integrating Diagnosis and Management of NTDs

“…Limited training of primary health care workers in Mali, focusing on leprosy and common skin diseases, resulted in significant improvements in diagnostic accuracy, appropriateness of referrals, and ability to correctly examine neurological (sensory) function, 12–18 months after the training was completed [ 15 ]. Traditional healers and those practising alternative systems of medicine are widely available in many African countries and throughout India, particularly in the rural communities, where they are easy to access and often a preferred source of treatment for health problems including leprosy [ 16 ]. Several studies have shown that it is both feasible and cost-effective to recruit traditional healers and train them to detect the signs of leprosy and refer suspected cases to specialist leprosy services [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”