01434nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001600042653001300058653001100071653001200082653003100094653001700125100001600142700001900158245007900177856007900256300001000335490000800345520084900353022001401202       1995                            d  c1995 Sep 3010aEthiopia10aHumans10aleprosy10aPreventive Health Services10aTuberculosis1 aLockwood DN1 aSaunderson P R00aHarnessing the strengths of the leprosy programme to control tuberculosis.  uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2550860/pdf/bmj00612-0047.pdf  a862-30 v3113 a<p>Tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death in Ethiopia but there is no effective national tuberculosis control programme. By contrast, the leprosy control programme has been very successful, with a 10-fold reduction in the number of leprosy cases requiring antibacterial treatment, though patients with nerve damage require continuing care. The paradox of rising numbers of tuberculosis cases and declining numbers of leprosy cases may be solved by joint leprosy-tuberculosis clinics. The strengths of leprosy fieldworkers in control management, case holding, and compliance can be harnessed in developing an effective tuberculosis control programme. Implementing a joint programme in Ethiopia may be beneficial not only for tuberculosis patients but also for leprosy patients, who are thus brought closer to general medical services.</p>  a0959-8138