Leprosy mailing list – June
16th, 2005
Ccn:
all.
Ref.: Post-Elimination?
From:
S. Noto
,
Caltanissetta
,
Italy
.
Dear Dr
Ogbeiwi,
Thank you
very much for your message (LML June 9th, 2005) contributing to the
debate about the so called “elimination” strategy. You introduce
worrying concepts. When you write about “true elimination” what do
you really mean, is there a false elimination? When you write about
“unacceptable indicator”
what do you really mean; should we go ahead with an inappropriate
indicator?
You see, the
matter about elimination has nothing to do with Dr Bidè or with
myself; it is a matter of English language. In 2003 the new leprosy
cases reported in
Africa
were 46 205 (LML June 5th, 2005); this is not elimination.
The concept is wrong. For example if we were talking about apples it
still would be the same. If we had 46 205 apples left we would admit
that the apples were not eliminated. Therefore there cannot be any
post-elimination yet. It is a matter of English language.
There is no
really alternative between true and false elimination; we cannot use
the “false”. Equally there is no alternative with acceptable and
unacceptable indicators; we cannot use the “unacceptable”. It is a
matter of ethics and epidemiology.
Best regards,
S. Noto
