Reasons for interrupting multidrug therapy against leprosy: the patients' point of view

Abstract

[Extract] Adherence to treatment of chronic diseases is a complex issue and involves not only responsibility of the 'diseased' person, but also the health professional teams and the patients' social networks. In the last years, non-adherence to multidrug therapy (MDT) against leprosy has been reduced significantly in Brazil. However, during field work of a major epidemiological study in Tocantins State (north Brazil), which included 1076 individuals of 78 municipalities diagnosed with leprosy between 2006 and 2008, we identified 351 (32·6%) participants who said that they had interrupted MDT at least once. Currently, Tocantins is the State with highest leprosy detection rates in Brazil (annual detection rate of 88·54/100·000 in the general population, and of 26·48/100·000 in <15 year-olds in 2009). The median time of interruption stated by the study participants was 15 days, with a maximum of three years (interquartile range: 6–30 days). The respondents (56% males; median age: 39 years) were asked an open question about their reasons for interrupting, and information was given by 348 participants (Table 1).