Novartis joins global partnership dedicated to leprosy eradication

Ahead of World Leprosy Day last Jan. 28, the Novartis Foundation joined forces with other leading leprosy groups to launch a Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy to accelerate progress toward a world without leprosy.

Other members of the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy include the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP), International Association for Integration, Dignity and Economic Advancement (IDEA), as well as national leprosy programs, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Our common vision is zero leprosy. The formation of the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy is a major step forward in fighting the disease and giving hope to patients,” said Dr. Ann Aerts, head of the Novartis Foundation.

“By combining expertise and coordinating research and funding efforts, we will be able to take advantage of new and innovative approaches to accelerate progress toward the elimination of leprosy,” she added.

Despite the availability of effective multi-drug therapy for the last 30 years, the number of newly diagnosed leprosy patients has remained above 200,000 per year for the last decade, including thousands of children.

However, scientific innovation is changing the way scientists approach leprosy. Instead of simply focusing on treatment, they can now implement innovative ways to interrupt transmission of the disease.

The Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy will coordinate action in three key areas:

(1) accelerating research in new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, interventions, and strategies to interrupt leprosy transmission; (2) mobilizing technical assistance and expertise to strengthen existing national programs and accelerate translation of new evidence into action; and (3) increasing advocacy and fundraising.

The Novartis Foundation has been collaborating with the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) for the last six years through a publicprivate partnership (PPP) on leprosy control. In 2012, the DOH and the Novartis Foundation formed a task force that, together with other key stakeholders, drew up a comprehensive post-elimination strategy. A key output of the Task Force is the LEprosy Alert and Response Network System (LEARNS), the country’s first mobile phone-based leprosy referral system.

Developed by the DOH, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, Metahelix, Novartis Healthcare Philippines and the Novartis Foundation, LEARNS is designed to work within existing leprosy control and monitoring initiatives of the DOH and local government units.

From 2013 to 2014, LEARNS was successfully piloted in Iloilo province, leading to adoption of the tool in nine cites in Cebu province. To date, over 6,000 healthcare providers have been trained in LEARNS nationwide. In 2015-2016, the DOH and the Leprosy Task Force expanded LEARNS to three additional regions, using a phased approach. Two versions of LEARNS have been evaluated and will be scaled up by the National Leprosy Control Program as part of its Manual of Operations. Impressed by the success of LEARNS, Brazil, Nepal and Myanmar have expressed interest to replicate the system.