02013nas a2200313   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001600055653001200071653003000083653001600113653001100129653001200140653001400152653001300166100001500179700001400194700001800208700002100226700001500247700001600262245010100278856005900379300001100438490000700449050003200456520119700488022001401685       1992                            d  c1992 Sep10aClofazimine10aDapsone10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aEthionamide10aHumans10aleprosy10aPolynesia10aRifampin1 aCartel J L1 aSpiegel A1 aNguyen Ngoc L1 aMoulia-Pelat J P1 aMartin P M1 aGrosset J H00aLeprosy in French Polynesia. The possible impact of multidrug therapy on epidemiological trends.  uhttp://leprev.ilsl.br/pdfs/1992/v63n3/pdf/v63n3a03.pdf  a223-300 v63  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>In 1982, following the recommendations of a WHO study group, multidrug therapy (MDT) was introduced into French Polynesia to treat all patients suffering from active leprosy, and--only on request--those still on dapsone monotherapy. After 5 years, a clear-cut decrease of prevalence and mean annual detection rates for leprosy (except for detection rates among children aged less than 15 years, many of such cases being detected early by increased household contact training) has been observed. There was also a decrease in the proportion of newly detected cases with disabilities. During the 21-year period preceding the introduction of MDT into the control programme, mean annual detection rates for leprosy had remained stable, and this led to the consideration that such a decrease was due neither to the natural decline of the disease nor to the economic improvement of the country. Our results, together with the fact that, to date, the relapse rate was nil in the Polynesian patients put on MDT, strongly suggest that the implementation of MDT has resulted in a decrease of detection rates for leprosy which may be a consequence of a decrease in the transmission of the disease.</p>  a0305-7518