NGO and state: co-operation between a leprosy relief association and other institutions in South America.

In a structured questionnaire format, the German Leprosy Relief Association (GLRA) interviewed its representatives in two Federal states of Brazil and four other Latin American countries about the distribution, between itself, the state and other institutions of a) responsibility for funding and b) implementation of activities, in relation to leprosy control. Wherever the political commitment was given, GLRA's role could be reduced to the highly effective support of the government structure in well-defined areas, most particularly in staff training, health education and eventually in programme supervision. This public-private partnership under the umbrella of the host government sustains a small, but important specialized leprosy component whilst routine services are well integrated into the general health system.