01906nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001200055653002200067653003000089653001100119653001100130653001400141653002300155653001200178653000900190653001000199653002300209653001800232653001300250653002200263100001600285700001100301245010500312856005100417300001000468490000700478050003200485520103700517022001401554       2008                            d  c2008 Dec10aDapsone10aDrug Combinations10aDrug Therapy, Combination10aFemale10aHumans10aIsoniazid10aLeprostatic Agents10aleprosy10aMale10aMalta10aProgram evaluation10aProthionamide10aRifampin10aTreatment Outcome1 aJacobson RR1 aGatt P00aCan leprosy be eradicated with chemotherapy? An evaluation of the Malta Leprosy Eradication Project.  uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/79/4/41-0415  a410-50 v79  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>The Malta Leprosy Eradication Project (MLEP) was proposed in 1971 by Freerksen with the aim of eradicating leprosy in Malta. The project involved re-treatment of all known cases in Malta as of 1972 and all new cases thereafter with a regimen consisting of Isoprodian (a combination of dapsone, prothionamide and isoniazid) and rifampicin for varying intervals depending on the severity of their disease and their response to treatment. Overall the response to therapy was excellent with an extremely low relapse rate. During the 30 years of the project the incidence of leprosy steadily decreased continuing a decline that had started at least two decades earlier and Freerksen declared the disease eradicated from Malta in 2001. Although given the long incubation period of leprosy cases may still be occasionally detected in the future, the disease has been basically eradicated at this time and there are no patients currently receiving treatment. This work was done at the leprosy clinic, Boffa Hospital, Floriana, Malta.</p>  a0305-7518