Qualitative assessment of social, economic and medical needs for ex-leprosy patients living in leprosy villages in Shandong Province, The People’s Republic of China

After successful control of the endemic of leprosy in Shandong Province, China, how to deal with ex-leprosy patients living in the leprosy villages/leprosaria has become a hot topic among programme managers, medical staff and governmental officials at different levels. One of the possible solutions in dealing with the problem was proposed to combine small leprosy villages into a few larger, already existing, leprosaria/leprosy villages with better facilities, in order to provide better care for ex-leprosy patients and make better use of existing resources. With this assumption, social, economic and medical needs felt by ex-leprosy patients in three leprosy villages of Shandong province were assessed qualitatively, and the possibilities and obstacles regarding combination were explored. The results showed that the basic needs for living, such as food and clothes, were provided by state governments, although living standards remained at a low level. Medical care was not satisfactory, as many health problems related and unrelated to leprosy were increasing, and self-care needed to be addressed, as the dependents grew older and the disability status became worse. Although the majority of ex-leprosy patients, medical staff and government officials interviewed agreed with the idea of the adjustment of leprosy villages/leprosaria, some obstacles, including stigma, existed. Government commitment, ideally at top level, was needed in order to facilitate the process of combination.