Lay summary
Control and elimination of leprosy is a major goal identified in the Strategic Plan published by the Kiribati Ministry of Health (MoH). A chemoprophylaxis programme was established in 2018 by the Pacific Leprosy Foundation with the MoH in response to the increasing incidence between 2013 and 2017.
Single-Dose Rifampicin (SDR) prophylaxis for household members of those suffering from leprosy was introduced in 2018. This research will analyse the difference between leprosy in Kiribati before and after SDR prophylaxis was introduced. The aim of this project is to evaluate its coverage and acceptability before the ambitious second phase of mass chemoprophylaxis.
A report will be provided to the MoH in Kiribati and may identify gaps in implementation that may need to be addressed to achieve health targets. The ability to publish this data will also help guide future public health research initiatives.