Table 1: Important achievements in the Leprosy therapy.
Late nineteenth century- until the 1940s |
Use of chaulmoogra oil in the treatment of Leprosy [5,6] |
1940 |
Promin, a sulfone drug, was introduced as a treatment for leprosy [7,8] |
1941 |
Dapsone was first used by Faget, et al. for the treatment of leprosy in Carville, Louisiana, USA [3,9] |
1955 |
National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP) was launched in India to control the number of leprosy infection [10] |
1964 |
The emergence of resistance to dapsone [11] |
1970 |
Identification of Rifampicin as a new and effective anti-leprosy drug [12] |
1981 |
WHO recommended the use of MDT [13] |
1983 |
National Leprosy Eradication Program (NLEP)was launched in India [14] |
1983 |
Introduction of MDT in India |
1992 |
RO* for 28 days (daily) [15] |
1994 |
WHO-MDT (FDT*-24) [16] |
1995 |
ROM-12 for MB, ROM-6 for PB |
1996 |
WHO-MDT (FDT-12 for MB and FDT-6 for PB) |
1997 |
ROM-1 for 1 day (single dose) [17] |
2000 |
WHO calls for the elimination of leprosy [18] |
2005 |
Elimination of Leprosy in India as a public health problem at the national level in December 2005 [19,20] |
ROM*: Rifampin-Ofloxacin-Minocycline; FDT*: Fixed drug therapy