Leprosy Mailing List – November 5th, 2007
Ref.:
Leprosy
Control Efforts in the 21st Century
From:
Scollard D. M., Baton
Rouge, LA, USA
Dear Dr. Noto,
All who work with patients in endemic counties
are aware of the many new cases that Drs. Das and Ganapati have
mentioned. However distressing this is, a discussion of these is
anecdotal.
If there will be a session in Hyderabad
(official or ad hoc) to critique the elimination concept, it would be
most valuable to organize it so that the scientifically collected and
published evidence is used as the foundation for the discussion.
I am referring, for example, to 1) The known epidemiological
parameters of the decline of leprosy where good treatment
programs have been in place, from which the ‘reasonable rate of
decline’ has been indicated; 2) The evidence available
regarding the differences in the number of new cases identified by
passive reporting, and then by active case finding, in the same
population. If the discussion begins with these (and related)
data—as close to ‘facts’ as we have concerning control of
leprosy – then it may be produce more forceful and less polemic
results. I think this is greatly needed if we are to put
leprosy control efforts in the 21st century on a sound
footing.
David Scollard
