Leprosy Mailing List – December 20th, 2006
Ref.: Leprosy statistics, Pakistan 2001-2005 (see attachment)
From: Ahmad
L., Karachi, Pakistan
Dear Salvatore,
I refer to your LML message dated Nov. 20th,
2006. Attached are
detailed statistical data on leprosy from Pakistan received from
statistical department of National Leprosy Control Programme.
I have not ready available
data on Bacillary Index, Morphological Index and Biopsy for
histopathology in suspected PB cases. I shall send you BI and
relapse reports if I get them. These
investigations were regularly done before year 1997 which is now
occasionally done even for MB cases.
Anyway, I have given a general overview on this and found that POOR
COMPLIANCE is the cause of this (relapses) rather than
drug resistance (or high bacillary index at diagnosis).
I have one more comment on these data
especially on New Case Detection.
A smooth decline of about 100 cases each year might raise some
doubts. It seems as if a
car is rolling down the hill without any bumps!
With best regards,
Latif Ahmad
