The role of village leaders in the implementation of multidrug therapy for leprosy, Sudan -- a pilot study in the Angasana Hills.

The purpose of this study is to implement multidrug therapy (MDT) and to evaluate the possible role of village leaders in supervising MDT treatment in remote and inaccessible areas in Sudan where health facilities are poor. Three villages from the Angasana Hills in the south-east of Sudan, where leprosy is endemic, have been chosen for this study. A health education course for village leaders in the area was conducted. Three medical assistants from a nearby village were identified to examine all leprosy suspects and to put the diagnosed cases on treatment. The village leaders were to supervise the treatment of the patients during the rainy season. Out of 43 cases detected all paucibacillary (PB) cases detected (11 cases) completed their treatment and 28 out of 32 multibacillary (MB) cases were regularly on treatment. It has been obvious that the village leaders were useful in supervising MDT in the Angasana area, a process which can be extended to other inaccessible areas in the Sudan.