Leprosy Mailing List – October 16th, 2007
Ref.:
Leprosy, a disease that affects neglected
populations
From: Convit J., Caracas,
Venezuela
Dear Dr. Noto,
In the Leprosy Mailing List, which you so kindly circulate,
there seems to be, in my opinion, some important discrepancies with
the WHO directives on leprosy.
I believe that truly there is no such disagreement,
considering the WHO directives that were so eloquently articulated in
an abstract that Dr. V Pannikar presented at the recent World Congress
of Dermatology in Buenos Aires, that read “We can expect a world
with a reduced burden of leprosy, reduced stigma and discrimination,
activities based on principles of equity and social justice and strong
partnership based on equality and mutual respect at all levels”.
I also believe that the best approach would be to agree on
the fact that leprosy control is not possible using only and
exclusively the treatment donated by WHO, without simultaneously
adding a clear and defined social action applied to the populations
that suffer this endemia. I
consider that the concept of leprosy as a neglected disease should be
changed to that of leprosy as a disease that affects neglected
populations, that suffer from hunger and ignorance, or, in other
words, simple misery.
If we want to control leprosy there is need to add to the
action over the disease itself, a clear and decided social action over
those endemic populations. As
long as we have neglected populations, leprosy control will not be
possible.
Best regards,
Jacinto Convit
