Gaborone, Botswana - 20 July 2018: Botswana government recently hosted a Regional expert consultative meeting in Phakalane Hotel, Gaborone. The overall objective of this meeting was to provide technical guidance and support meeting for 10 low Leprosy burden countries to design and implement a standardized and efficient approach for preventing and detecting leprosy in the low-burden context. The participating countries were Botswana, Eritrea, Lesotho, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe and Gambia.

The meeting Organized by the Regional Office of the World Health Organization for Africa (WHO / AFRO), was also attended by Leprosy Experts, Partners working with Leprosy including The Leprosy Mission International (TLMI).

The Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPS) Dr Khumo Seipone opened the meeting. In her remarks she appreciated the decision to hold regional leprosy meeting in Botswana. This she said will improve the country’s commitment to management of leprosy which has often been forgotten.  DPS further appreciated the global leprosy strategy 2016-2020 that aims at accelerating efforts towards a leprosy free world.  She echoed that as we look forward to a leprosy free Africa, Botswana inclusive, it is imperative that efforts are geared towards innovative ways to improve case.
 
Specifically  to Botswana the DPS MoHw alluded that Leprosy is reported in 6 districts, Ngami, Okavango, Boteti, Mahalapye,  and the prevalence remains less than 1 case per 10 00 population. She then emphasized that though the prevalence might very low, case finding of Leprosy is still a challenge as many health care workers suspicion index to detect the disease is low.  Leprosy like other Neglected tropical diseases has experienced a gradual reduction in funding and, research the DPS expressed.  She then called for more funding partnerships and research agenda.
 
Dr Seipone concluded by challenging all, private sector, and community, Partners   to concert efforts  with governments to eliminate Leprosy as public health problem  NTDs interventions are deployed accordingly.

Dr. Martins Ovberedjo, WHO Representative, gave a word of welcome and encouragement to participants. He highlighted the physical complications that Leprosy put on people and communities which subsequently subject affected persons to social stigmatization.  He then alluded to the need to accelerate efforts towards elimination of the disease thereby giving back dignity to the affected populations.

The meeting was appraised that 37 countries in AFRO Region are endemic for at least 5 NTDs including Leprosy. In 2017 the 10 low burden countries reported 488 cases clearly showing that transmission is on-going. The WHO NTD Global Roadmap launched in 2012 has defined target leprosy elimination as attainment of a detection rate of less than one new case with grade 2 disabilities per million populations. Subsequent to this, progress shows that at the end of 2017, 21 countries, including Leprosy Low Burden Countries have already achieved the target.

To further accelerate elimination efforts, new approaches are being proposed. These include early case finding through contact tracing and mass dermatology consultation promptly detect cases while prevention is targeted through Vaccination and Leprosy Post Exposure Prophylaxis. Going forward all participating countries, extracting from their five year (2018 -2023) NTDs Master Plans developed 201-2019 costed annual plans.

The multi-country consultation meeting was closed by Mr Peter Laubscher, Executive Director at The Leprosy Mission International for Southern Africa, who urged all participants to accelerate implementation of the elimination plan for leprosy.