Implementation of National Leprosy Eradication Programme during COVID-19 era: A qualitative research.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic imposed new challenge to the implementation of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme. According to national data, after lockdown due to COVID-19, there was a 29% reduction in total leprosy cases reported in the first quarter (April-June) of 2020 in comparison to 2019. Objectives To explore the difficulties faced by different stakeholders of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme like policy makers, doctors, grass root level health workers as well as leprosy patients during COVID-19 pandemic with respect to programme implementation and access to leprosy care. Materials and Methods Qualitative research was undertaken including two focus-group-discussions held among six leprosy patients diagnosed after lockdown and nine ASHA workers as well as six in-depth interviews of doctors, leprologists, and programme managers. Ethics committee approval was sought and informed consent was obtained from all participants. All focus-group-discussions were electronically recorded and the in-depth interviews telephonically recorded, transcribed and translated from Bengali-to-English. Transcripts were separately coded by researchers and thematically analysed with the help of Visual-Anthropac software version 1.0. Results Solitary focus on COVID-19 control, capacity building and information, education and communication, leprosy case search & surveillance, co-infection among health workers, transportation issues were the themes explored from focus-group-discussions of health workers and ASHA workers. Similarly, the present study identified six themes from in-depth interviews of programme manager, leprologists, programme manager as diagnostic difficulty, operational issues, rehabilitation issues, capacity building & information education and communication activities and way forward. Limitations The research reveals the perceptions of rural population of Eastern India with high leprosy prevalence, which might not be applicable for urban areas or low prevalent districts Conclusion The solitary focus of the administration towards COVID and shifting the infrastructure and human resource only towards the management of COVID can lead to resurgence of the leprosy. Having an organised framework of operations, catering to the need of the front-line workers in rendering services, utilizing the digital platform and social media, and focusing on rehabilitation would be needed to overcome the crisis.

A study to assess the usage of MCR footwear in West Bengal, India.

The routine use of appropriate footwear is an important intervention to prevent disability in leprosy. We conducted a study to assess utilisation of MCR footwear and observe the condition of footwear. Fifty-six persons affected by leprosy who had been provided MCR footwear in the preceding 3 years were paid home visit and administered a semi-structured interview schedule. Although a total of 30 participants reported using special footwear currently, only 10 reported usage during participation in social events. On observation, 16 pairs were found to be in an unusable condition owing to foot deformity and another 14 pairs in poor condition. In order to ensure greater utilisation of special footwear, the National Programme may seek local solutions through engagement of cobblers and shoemakers with appropriate training in customisation. Persons affected by leprosy should be empowered to appreciate the benefits of special footwear and to take care of themselves, including taking responsibility for using their footwear.