{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]],"date-time":"2026-05-14T18:16:15Z","timestamp":1778782575444,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]],"date-time":"2026-05-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778716800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Science and technology innovation development fund project (2024) of Xishuangbanna Prefecture","award":["2024kjcx01"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024kjcx01"]}]},{"name":"Key Laboratory of Medical Rescue Key Technology and Equipment, Ministry of Emergency Management","award":["YJBZZJJTJU202404"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["YJBZZJJTJU202404"]}]},{"name":"Tianjin University Science and Technology Innovation Leading Talent Cultivation Project","award":["2024XQM-0024"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024XQM-0024"]}]},{"name":"Kunming Medical University First Affiliated Hospital Fund Project","award":["202201AT070327"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202201AT070327"]}]},{"name":"Xingdian Talents Program","award":["XDYC-YLWS-2024-0088"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["XDYC-YLWS-2024-0088"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosntds.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS Negl Trop Dis"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Leprosy remains a neglected tropical disease and major global public health challenge, particularly in developing countries with severe healthcare workforce shortages hindering control. The southwestern border, represented by Yunnan Province, is a core endemic area. A comprehensive assessment of its leprosy workforce is critical for achieving elimination.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods\/Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In October 2024, a cross-sectional census survey evaluated 423 Leprosy prevention and control personnel across all 129 counties in Yunnan Province, China. These counties were categorized into high (I), moderate (II), and low (III) endemicity areas based on their leprosy burden. Distinct workforce patterns emerged among 423 personnel, Category I areas exhibited the highest proportion of personnel aged 30\u201339 years (37.5%), along with the continuing education participation (78.5%), the highest full-time employment rate (52.5%), and strongest prescription protocol awareness (72.5%). Category II areas featured the oldest personnel profile (35.0% aged \u226550 years),with a moderate positive correlation between age and years of service (r\u2009=\u20090.58), highest continuing education participation (78.8%). In contrast, Category III areas had the highest proportion under 30 years (20.5%), and highest proportion of personnel with Bachelor\u2019s degrees or higher (69.9%) lowest full-time employment rate (38.4%), highest compensation dissatisfaction (38.4% \u201cbelow average\u201d), and lowest intention to leave (8.2%). Pervasive workforce aging existed (at least 30% of personnel \u226550 years in Category II and III) and widespread technical gaps (&gt;75% Category III areas lacked essential lab skills). Part-time staffing was common (47.5%-61.6% across categories). Despite over &gt;90% of personnel in these three categories rated their compensation as \u201caverage or below\u201d, compensation and career challenges were most acute in Categories I and II.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The Yunnan leprosy workforce shows strengths, notably high continuing education participation (78.5%) and balanced clinical\/preventive staffing. However, it faces significant challenges, workforce aging, shortage of highly qualified personnel, and limited lab capacity. Urgent intervention measures are needed to revitalize the workforce, enhance training, and strategically allocate resources to expedite the achievement of leprosy elimination.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0013209","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]],"date-time":"2026-05-14T17:56:26Z","timestamp":1778781386000},"page":"e0013209","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pntd.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Human resource challenges in leprosy control: A cross-sectional study in southwest border area of China"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"given":"Ruifang","family":"Song","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yong","family":"Shen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fuying","family":"Guo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Qing","family":"Zhen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shuo","family":"Kou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shun","family":"Zha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Xiaojun","family":"Yu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhuo","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Shanshan","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jiaxin","family":"Hao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yiting","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yingtong","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tian","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2224-0545","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Tiejun","family":"Shui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1496-0358","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Xiangyu","family":"Yan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Weijia","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]]},"reference":[{"issue":"9","key":"pntd.0013209.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(17)30418-8","article-title":"Multidrug therapy for leprosy: a game changer on the path to elimination","volume":"17","author":"CS Smith","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet Infect Dis"},{"key":"pntd.0013209.ref002","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2025"},{"issue":"37","key":"pntd.0013209.ref003","first-page":"501","article-title":"Global leprosy (Hansen disease) update, 2023: elimination of leprosy disease is possible \u2013 time to act!","volume":"99","author":"World Health Organization = Organisation Mondiale De la S","year":"2024","journal-title":"Wkly Epidemiol Rec"},{"issue":"2","key":"pntd.0013209.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.4103\/idoj.IDOJ_282_17","article-title":"Current situation of leprosy in India and its future implications","volume":"9","author":"PN Rao","year":"2018","journal-title":"Indian Dermatol Online J"},{"issue":"10","key":"pntd.0013209.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1111\/ijd.17359","article-title":"Leprosy knowledge among primary care 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