Governments and authorised organisations working with leprosy patients onlyneed to submit a request to the WHO to obtain the therapy free of charge.This is the company's contribution to a new venture named Global Alliance,which was announced on November 15 by the WHO. The Alliance aims toeliminate leprosy from the whole world by 2005. Other members of theAlliance are governments of leprosy endemic countries, the NipponFoundation, and the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations(ILEP). The Alliance will cooperate closely with NGOs, Danish InternationalDevelopment Agency (DANIDA) and the World Bank.

Novartis will make additional resources available to help implement thisfinal step towards eliminating leprosy. The company has long been associatedwith fighting leprosy, and its activities extend from research to fieldwork. It played a key role in developing two of the three drugs used the inmulti-drug therapy. Since 1986, its Foundation for Sustainable Developmenthas been involved in implementing practical and innovative strategies forleprosy elimination.

The Global Alliance and its partners aim to detect and cure the estimated2.5-2.8 million leprosy patients by the end of 2005, thus achievingelimination of the disease. Elimination is defined as a prevalence of lessthan one case for every 10,000 people in any country. The current prevalencein the most endemic countries, which account for 90 per cent of cases, ismore than 4.5 times this target. Efforts will focus on detecting all casesby generating and meeting demand for free treatment through improvingawareness and access. Over the past 15 years, an estimated 10 million peoplehave been cured of leprosy and the disease has been eliminated from 98endemic countries.

The Government of India will chair the Global Alliance during the year 2000.WHO director general, Gro Harlem Brundtland, said the organisation wouldintensify its work in monitoring field operations while verifying theimplementation of the Global Alliance's strategy.

Novartis has been active in the field of leprosy treatment andrehabilitation of affected persons since 1986. "For centuries, leprosy hasplagued mankind, mutilating people who are then discriminated against, oreven excluded by society," says Daniel Vasella, chairman and CEO. "So muchsuffering results from this disease, but early treatment can prevent itsdisfiguring and crippling effects, and cure the patient completely. As thepharmaceutical partner in the Global Alliance, we are most pleased to donatethe drugs needed to eliminate leprosy."