LEPROSY AND TUBERCULOSIS COMBINED PROGRAMS - AN UNEASY PARTNERSHIP

One of the purposes of this memorial lecture is to relate progress and difficulties in the field of leprosy to work in other fields. Tubercu losis is a disease closely related to leprosy and in 1982 the Kellersb erger lecture was given by Dr. Styblo, someone whose name is synonymou s with the development of effective Tuberculosis Control Programme in Africa. His title was ''Tuberculosis and its control: lessons to be le arned from past experience, and implications for leprosy control progr amme'' (1). Many countries in Africa, including Ethiopia, have adopted the strategy of a combined leprosy and TB control programme. In this lecture then, I will examine more closely the strategy of combining th e two programmes. I want to look at some of the problems that may aris e and then draw out the ways in which each side of the partnership can contribute to the other, so that the combination can be more effectiv e than either programme could hope to be on its own. This lecture will focus mainly on management issues, which are currently the most impor tant barriers to effective control of both diseases, but the socio-eco nomic aspects of disease, so much a part of Dr. Kellersberger's workin g life, will also be prominent.