01259nas a2200181   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653001200054653002800066100001400094245007300108856004100181300001200222490000600234050001700240520080600257022001401063       2011                            d  c09/201110aleprosy10aPublic  health policies1 aAwofeso N00aLeprosy: International Public Health Policies and Public Health Eras  uhttp://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/1/1/32  a32–440 v1  aAWOFESO2011a3 aPublic health policies continue to play important roles in national and international health reforms. However, the influence and legacies of the public health eras during which such policies are formulated remain largely underappreciated. The limited appreciation of this relationship may hinder consistent adoption of public health policies by nation-states, and encumber disinvestment from ineffective or anachronistic policies. This article reviews seven public health eras and highlights how each era has influenced international policy formulation for leprosy control—“the fertile soil for policy learning”. The author reiterates the role of health leadership and health activism in facilitating consistency in international health policy formulation and implementation for leprosy control.  a2076-3387