Management of leprosy reactions and prevention of disability

The World Health Organisation has issued new Technical Guidance on management of leprosy reactions and prevention of disability. The guidance originated in an informal consultation in late 2018 where numerous ILEP technical specialists were involved.

The Technical Guidance provides updated and detailed guidance on critically important actions to prevent disability. Main chapters include:

• Distinction between the different types of leprosy reaction – how they present, how they are managed and the potential consequences if not managed well
• How to assess nerve function and undertake sensory testing and voluntary muscle testing, so as to recognise nerve damage as early as possible
• How to recognise early, and correctly treat, leprosy reactions and neuritis, so as to avoid irreversible nerve damage and the resulting disability. There are separate chapters for the medical management and for front-line health workers, including a useful step-by-step guide

A feature that users may find especially useful is a set of flow-charts, or algorithms, towards the end of the publication, which are a visual guide to making the right clinical decisions.