Leprosy in Peru.

The appalling earthquake in the Huaraz area to the north of Lima in 1 9 70 brought Peru into the headlines and stimulated massive financial aid from many countries of the world-not least from Great Britain , which raised over a quarter of a million pounds. Following this disaster, many individuals in voluntary and other agencies came to see medical and social problems in Peru for the first time, and when the emergency settled down it was therefore hardly surprising that various requests should be made for help in the public health field. By a curious chain of circumstances involving an internationally famous entertainer, an ophthalmologist, and a Peruvian army general, the British Leprosy Relief Association (LEPRA) was approached with a view to finding someone to go to Peru and assess the leprosy _situation in the country . The author was given this task, and the present paper describes impressions gained during a 4000-mile tour of the main areas and centres of leprosy work .