01870nas a2200229   4500000000100000008004100001653001100042653003000053653001200083653001100095653001800106653003400124653001600158653003300174100001500207245016400222856005000386300000900436490000700445520117400452022001401626       2007                            d10aUganda10aReferral and Consultation10aleprosy10aHumans10aHealth Policy10aEarly Diagnosis and Treatment10aDermatology10aCommunicable Disease Control1 aKawuma HJS00aPotential role of dermatologists and dermatological services in developing and sustaining the leprosy control referral system in resource constrained settings.  uhttps://leprosyreview.org/article/78/1/03-437  a34-70 v783 a<p>General Health Services that pay due attention to the management of skin conditions are opportune for suspecting and diagnosing early leprosy. In many developing countries, patients with dermatological conditions can only access specialist services in the larger cities and university hospitals; unaffordable costs make the services even less accessible if they can only be provided in the private sector. The high profile of dermatologists in the health services, gives them the opportunity to facilitate the development and implementation of a referral system that includes leprosy. This potential benefit for leprosy control must be initiated by current National Leprosy Programme Managers through establishing formal relationships with the dermatologists and involving them and other partners in the re-designing of leprosy control strategies to keep them in tandem with changing epidemiological patterns, national policies and on -going health sector reforms. The same health service managers should avail of the opportunities from the dermatologists (both in public and private sectors) about the current knowledge on the management and control of leprosy.</p>  a0305-7518