Leprosy Mailing List – February 18th, 2008
Ref.: Centenary
Year of Dr Stanley Browne
From: Smith C. W., Aberdeen, UK
Dear Dr Noto,
Derek Browne's
paper (LML February 16th, 2008) is an important
contribution to the history of leprosy.
I wanted to comment
on the last sentence on his article - 'His life
is a challenge to us all interested in the eradication of leprosy from
the world.' There were a number of calls during the recent
highly successful ILA congress for a strategy of leprosy eradication. Clearly
there is a degree of popular support and political will for
eradication of leprosy but there must be serious reservations about
the scientific feasibility. Perhaps a fitting way to celebrate
this centenary would be sponsorship of a workshop to explore in
depth the feasibility of eradication and to identify what research
would be needed to develop the tools that might make
eradication possible.
Cairns Smith
