Chemotherapy of leprosy

The rapid spread of dapsone-resistant strains of M. leprae during the 1970s, that resulted from the previous use of dapsone monotherapy for the treatment of leprosy, necessitated a radical new approach to the treatment of the disease. In response to this challenge, a Study Group convened by the World Health Organization in 1981 recommended that multibacillary patients should be treated to smear-negativity with a combination of once-monthly supervised doses of rifampicin together with daily self-administered dapsone and clofazimine. It was suggested that paucibacillary patients need only be treated for 6 months with monthly rifampicin plus daily dapsone. Some 2 million patients have already been treated with these recommended regiments which have been excellently tolerated and are proving to be highly effective.