Case detection delay in leprosy: Testing tool reliability and measurement consistency in Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

Background: Case detection delay (CDD) in leprosy is defined as the period between the onset of the first signs and symptoms and the time of diagnosis. A tool, consisting of a questionnaire and a detailed guide for researchers, which includes photos of typical skin signs and notes on establishing the timing of events, was developed to determine this period of delay in months in recently diagnosed leprosy patients. The aims of the study were to determine the reliability and consistency of this CDD assessment tool.

The NLR SkinApp: Testing a Supporting mHealth Tool for Frontline Health Workers Performing Skin Screening in Ethiopia and Tanzania.

The prevalence of skin diseases such as leprosy, and limited dermatological knowledge among frontline health workers (FHWs) in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, led to the development of the NLR SkinApp: a mobile application (app) that supports FHWs to promptly diagnose and treat, or suspect and refer patients with skin diseases. The app includes common skin diseases, neglected tropical skin diseases (skin NTDs) such as leprosy, and HIV/AIDS-related skin conditions. This study aimed to test the supporting role of the NLR SkinApp by examining the diagnostic accuracy of its third edition.

Predicted Pharmacokinetic Interactions Between Hormonal Contraception and Single or Intermittently Dosed Rifampicin.

The scale-up of rifampicin-based prevention regimens is an essential part of the global leprosy strategy. Daily rifampicin may reduce the effectiveness of the oral contraceptive pill (OCP), but little is known about the effects of rifampicin at the less frequent dosing intervals used for leprosy prophylaxis. As many women of reproductive age rely on OCP for family planning, evaluating the interaction with less-than-daily rifampicin regimens would enhance the scalability and acceptability of leprosy prophylaxis.

Implementation approaches for leprosy prevention with single-dose rifampicin: A support tool for decision making.

Background: In the past 15 years, the decline in annually detected leprosy patients has stagnated. To reduce the transmission of Mycobacterium leprae, the World Health Organization recommends single-dose rifampicin (SDR) as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for contacts of leprosy patients. Various approaches to administer SDR-PEP have been piloted.