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| ==Overview== | | ==Overview== |
| To further decrease the prevalence leprosy in endemic regions, new [[research]] studies are required to improve the current concepts of [[diagnosis]] and [[therapy]] of leprosy, bringing the same level of [[Therapy|treatment]] to every area in the world.
| | Ongoing [[research]] focuses on the the mechanism of leprosy transmission as well as the identification of patients at high risk of infection in order to improve disease prevention and to treat infected individuals earlier. <ref name=WHO>{{cite web | title = Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden due to Leprosy | url = http://www.searo.who.int/entity/global_leprosy_programme/documents/enhanced_global_strategy_2011_2015_operational_guidelines.pdf }}</ref> Identification of alternatives to existing [[drugs]], such as [[rifampicin]] is also critical in so far as these agents may be [[contraindicated]] either because of [[toxicity]] or [[resistance]]. <ref name=WHO>{{cite web | title = Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden due to Leprosy | url = http://www.searo.who.int/entity/global_leprosy_programme/documents/enhanced_global_strategy_2011_2015_operational_guidelines.pdf }}</ref> |
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| ==Future or investigational therapies==
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| Even though the [[incidence]] of leprosy has been decreasing throughout the last years, it should not decrease the [[research]] efforts to diminish the impact of this condition. It is important to find new, better and [[cost-effectiveness|cost-effective]] ways to control the disease's [[incidence]], particularly in [[endemic]] countries. For future [[research studies]], major topics to keep in consideration are:<ref name=WHO>{{cite web | title = Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden due to Leprosy | url = http://www.searo.who.int/entity/global_leprosy_programme/documents/enhanced_global_strategy_2011_2015_operational_guidelines.pdf }}</ref>
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| * Integration
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| * Quality
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| * Equity
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| * Sustainability
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| It is mandatory to identify the patterns of [[transmission]] of leprosy to better understand the factors influencing not only the occurrence but also the [[transmission]] of the disease, in order to develop better mechanisms for [[prevention]], [[Therapy|treatment]] and management of individual patients, household contacts and populations in general.<ref name=WHO>{{cite web | title = Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden due to Leprosy | url = http://www.searo.who.int/entity/global_leprosy_programme/documents/enhanced_global_strategy_2011_2015_operational_guidelines.pdf }}</ref>
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| Another priority for [[research]] is to develop better and more affordable approaches to identify the individual cases in the population at higher [[Risk factor|risk]] of contracting the disease, and to provide an early [[diagnosis]] of those already [[infected]], in order to minimize the damages inflicted by leprosy in the quality of life of the individuals.<ref name=WHO>{{cite web | title = Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden due to Leprosy | url = http://www.searo.who.int/entity/global_leprosy_programme/documents/enhanced_global_strategy_2011_2015_operational_guidelines.pdf }}</ref>
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| In the case of the [[Therapy|treatments]] already in place, it is important to find better alternatives to provide, in case [[drugs]] such as [[rifampicin]] are [[contraindicated]] either because of [[toxicity]] or [[resistance]] to the [[drug]]. Even though this might not be a major concern of the present, it is a potential issue that could cause a great deal of damage in the future, if no alternative [[drug]] was available.<ref name=WHO>{{cite web | title = Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden due to Leprosy | url = http://www.searo.who.int/entity/global_leprosy_programme/documents/enhanced_global_strategy_2011_2015_operational_guidelines.pdf }}</ref>
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| As with all [[research]] studies, it is essential that results are communicated to the [[WHO]] and available worldwide in order to improve the current knowledge of [[prevention], management and [[Therapy|treatment]] of leprosy patients and at the same time enhance further discoveries, that aim to eradicate leprosy on a worldwide basis.<ref name=WHO>{{cite web | title = Enhanced Global Strategy for Further Reducing the Disease Burden due to Leprosy | url = http://www.searo.who.int/entity/global_leprosy_programme/documents/enhanced_global_strategy_2011_2015_operational_guidelines.pdf }}</ref>
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| ==References== | | ==References== |
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| [[Category:Disease]] | | [[Category:Disease]] |
| [[Category:Dermatology]] | | [[Category:Dermatology]] |
| [[Category:Infectious disease]]
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| [[Category:Tropical disease]] | | [[Category:Tropical disease]] |
| [[Category:Leprosy]] | | [[Category:Leprosy]] |