Leprosy Mailing List – November 2nd, 2007
Ref.: “Elimination”
of leprosy in Brazil and India
From: Ganapati, R., Mumbai,
India
Dear Dr Noto,
Dr P K Das (LML dated 23,
October, 2007) will remember visiting Bombay Leprosy Project a few
years ago and making the same observation on seeing several multiple
case families. His object
was to do some studies on genetics in leprosy in India. If he comes to us again we
will still show him florid leprosy cases of all varieties.
Those who would like us to
believe that leprosy transmission is controlled may be embarrassed if
at all they witness the plethora of new untreated cases thronging
clinics particularly in metropolitan cities in India and in rural
India too. After the
decision to withdraw mass surveys and to integrate leprosy with
general health services, this phenomenon is increasingly met with.
It must however be admitted
that the intensity of transmission as compared to pre-MDT era has come
down.
The brain storming session to
rethink on “elimination” suggested by Dr Das in the Hyderabad
Congress is welcome. Besides
discussing the Brazil situation, the scenario in India, a country with
much higher endemicity should also be considered seriously.
Regards,
Dr
R Ganapati
Bombay Leprosy Project
