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W.H.O., I.L.E.P. T.L.M. PRESS REPORTS ON LEPROSY
CURRENT ILEP PRESS RELEASES
15th. INTERNATIONAL LEPROSY CONGRESS - Beijing, China 7-12 Sept. 1998 - Extracts from “ILEP - Flash” (Sept/Oct.1997 Issue 4/97)
As a result of a legacy, the Stanley G. Brown / Acchiappati Memorial Fund has been set up to provide travel, accommodation and registration expenses to enable participants from the third world to attend the 15th. ILA Congress....
The fund is held in trust by The Leprosy Mission International and managed jointly by representatives from the family of Dr. Stanley Browne, ILA and TLMI.
Applications for grants will be selected against the following criteria:-
(1) hold a recognised appointment with a government or non-government agency relating to leprosy.
(2) hold a recognised professional qualification
(3) be able to demonstrate expectation of continuing to work in the field of leprosy until at least September 2001.
(4) be currently working and resident in a country where leprosy is endemic
The philosophy of the fund management committee is to use the fund to enable people to attend the ILA Congress who may not have been able to secure complete funding from other sources. In this way, it is hoped that more people will be abe to attend and benefit from what will be a landmark Congress.
Special consideration will be given to applicants who have been formerly invited to contribute to the Congress but do not have other sources to cover their full support.
Requests for further information should be address to :- The Leprosy Mission International, 80 Windmill Road, Brentford, Mddx., TW8 OQH,Britain, U.K.. - fax +44/181 569 7808 - e-mail: friends@tlmint.org
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INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF LEPROSY ELIMINATION ACTIVITIES IN BANGLADESH - (Extract from ILEP-Flash - Sept-Oct. 1997 - Issue 4/97
The World Health Organisation (WHO-SEARO), in association with the combined Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Services of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, organised an evaluation of leprosy elimination activities in Bangladesh from 11th. to 23rd. September 1997.
The terms of reference were:-
a) To assess progress towards achieving the goal of leprosy elimination in Bangladesh by 2000 AD, nationally and sub-nationally.
b) To review the implementation of the NLEP in specific activities such as case-detection and the provision of MDT (Multi-Drug-Therapy) , case-holding and support activities such as Information, Education, Communication and Training.
c) To review and validate available data
d) To submit recommendations for further strengthening and accelerating elimination activities
The evaluation was carried out by four teams, each consisting of three Members and a Project Facilitator or Representive from the Ministry, covering all six divisions of the country, 29 of the 64 districts (25%), 64 of the 460 “thanas” (Areas of Primary Health Care Complexes with in-patient facilities and 10 of the 12 leprosy hospitals. This included the examination of 121 patients, review of 150 record cards, interviews with 76 leprosy staff and 156 general health care staff, including 55 doctors and 159 community members.
Following a series of meetings with W.H.O. and the Ministry of Health, on return to Dhaka, observations and recommendations were pooled to produce a preliminary report for the Health Secretary, pending the later production of a full account of all the main findings. In the South East Asia Region (SEARO) of W.H.O., Bangladesh is unique in having a combined Tuberculosis / Leprosy programme. This was created in 1976 by the Govt. of Bangladesh as a separate Mycobacterial Disease Control Unit (MBDC), under the Directorate of Health . In 1985, MDT was introduced in some endemic areas and 120 had been covered by 1990, in collaboration with non-governmental agencies.
The present situation is that Bangladesh (population approx. 120 million) has 13,385 registered cases of leprosy with 100% coverage, a national prevalence rate of 1.1 per 10,000 population, a total of 70,063 cases cured with MDT, 11,225 cases detected in 1996 - giving a detection rate of 9.4 per 100,000 of the population. WHO estimate 50,000 cases to be detected and cured, 25,000 of whom are to be found through the Leprosy Elimination Campaign (LEC) approach, already in operation and to be extended during the remainder of this year and in 1998. Efforts are now being directed to achieving elimination levels at sub-national levels, notably in the division of Rajshahi (north-western part of the country), which accounts for approx. 50% of all cases in the country. (Dr. A.Colin McDougall)
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EXTRACTS FROM “ILEP-FLASH” - Oct./ Sept. 19977 - Issue 4/1997.
THE LEPROSY LIST - LEPROSY BY E-MAIL
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EXTRACTS FROM ILEP’S (INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ANTI-LEPROSY ASSOCIATIONS) “PANORAMA - 96-97” - More details are available from ILEP, 234 Blythe Road, London, W14 OHJ, Britain, U.K., Phone +44/171 371 1621 - E-mail: ilep@ilep.org.uk
THE FEDERATION:
ILEP exists as stated in its Constitution, to support medical, social and humanitarian activities throughout the world for the relief and rehabilitation of persons suffering from leprosy and the prevention and eventual eradication of that disease.
In June 1996, ILEP Member-Associations unanimously adopted the following Statement of Priorities:
ILEP and its Member-Associations are determined to respond to the total and continuing problem of leprosy. The priority of the Federation over the new few years is, therefore, to assist Members as effectively as possible to achieve:
1) Prevention of disabilities for all people affected by leprosy
2) Multi-Drug-Therapy (MDT) for all who need it.
3) Health Services capable of sustaining cost-effective, anti-leprosy activities under conditions of low endemicity.
4) Normalisation of the lives of all people who are or have been affected by leprosy.
5) Continuation of essential research into leprosy, especially as regards the development of tools for the prevention of the disease, even more efficient treatment and the prevention of disability.
This Statement reflects the success achieved in leprosy work in recent years and the view of ILEP Member-Associations that the emphasis is changing from the medical to the social aspects of leprosy for the individuals affected by it.
While retaining their autonomy and making their own decisions, the 20 ILEP Member-Associations co-ordinated their grant-giving through the mechanism of the Federation: an Information Network with standardised forms, centralised files and directories and analyses of the information obtained, an annual Working Session in December, and a system of country and project co-ordinators. These mechanisms help avoid overlap and concentrate resources where they are most needed - an exceptional example of international co-operation by autonomous agencies in the distribution of funds.
Following are ILEP’s Member-Associations:- (1) Aide aux Lepreux Emmaus-Suisse (ALES), Spitalgasse 9, CH-3011 Berne, Switzerland, Phone: +41/31 311 7797 (2) American Leprosy Mission (ALM), 1 ALM Way, Greenville SC 29601, USA, Phone: +1/864 271 7040, E-mail: amlep@leprosy.org (3) Associazione Italianna Amici di Raoul Follereau (AIFO), 4-6 via Borselli, 1-40135 Bologna, Italy (4) Comite Internationall de L’ordre de Malte pour L’Assistance aux Lepreux (CIOMAL) Place Claparede 3, CH-1205 Geneve, Switzerland, Phone: +41/22 346 8687, E-mail: mission.order-malta@itu.ch (5) German Leprosy Relief Association (DAHW), P.O. Box 9062, D-97090 Wurzburg, Germany, Phone: +49/931 7948 0, E-mail: dahw@geod.geonet.de (6) Damien Foundation Belgium (DFB) Boulevard Leopld-ll, 263, B-1081 Brussels, Belgium, Phone: +32/2 422 5911, E-mail : damien@pophost.eunet.be (7) Association Francaise Raoul Follereau (FF), BP No.79, 75722 Paris Cedex 15, France. Phone: +33/1 5368 98 98 Email : olphe-galliard@raoul-follweeau.org (8) Fondation Luxembourgeoise Raoul Follereau (FL), 151 avenue du septembre, L-2551, Luxembourg, Phone: +352/44 66 06 (9) Fontation Pere Damien pour la lutte contre la Lepre (FOPERDA), Boulebard Leopold 11, 263, B-Brussels, Belgium. Phone: +32/2 42 25 939 (10) Hartdegen Fund (HF) Reppersbergstrase 66, D-66119 Saarbrucken, Germany. (11) Institut Cardinal Leger Contre la Lepre (ICLL), 130 avenue de l’Epee, Montreal H2V 3T2, Canada. Phone: +1/514 495 2409, Email: fleger@cam.org (12) British Leprosy Relief Association (Lepra) , Fairfax House, Causton Road, Colchester CO1 1PU, Britain, U.K. Phone: +44/1206 562 286, Email: lepra@lepra.org.uk (13) Leonard Wood Memorial American Leprosy Foundation, (LWM) 11600 Nebel Street, Suite 210, Rockville, MD 20852, USA, Phone:+1/so1 984 1336 (14) Netherlands Leprosy Relief Association (NSL), Wibautstraat 137 K, P.O. Box 95005, NL-1090 HA Amsterdam, Netherlands, Phone: +31/20 5950 500, email: info@lepraned.nl (15) Pacific Leprosy Foundation (PLF) Private Bag 4730, Christchurch 8020, New Zealand, Phone: +64/3 366 3685 (16) Red Barnet (RB) Rantzausgade 60, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark. Phone: +45/3536 5555, Email: redbarn@inet.uni-c.dk (17) Fontilles (SF), Sanatoria San Fransisco de Borja, E-03791 Fontilles, Alicante, Spain. Phone: +34/6 358 3350, Email: fontilles@dirac.es (18) Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation (SJ), Senpaku Shinko Building, 1-15-16 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan. Phone +81/3 3508 2201 (19) Secours aux Lepreux, Canada (SLC) 1275 Hodge, Bureau 125, Montreal H4N 3H4, Canada. Phone: +1/514 744 3199, email: secours-lepreux@msn.com (2) The Leprosy Mission International (TLMI) 80 Windmill Road, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 OQH Britain, U.K., Phone: +44/181 569 7292 Email: friends@TLMInt.org
ILEP MEMBERS’ CONTRIBUTION TO FIGHT AGAINST LEPROSY
1) 345,000 people receiving treatment with ILEP support (39% of world total)
2) 246,000 new leprosy cases registered (43% of world total)
3) 63 ILEP projects supported combined leprosy and tuberculosis programmes. They registered 90,000 new tuberculosis patients.
4) Elimination Report including 213 projects reported socio-economic activities in the fields of employment, housing, education and welfare, involving 200,000 people affected by leprosy
THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF LEPROSY
888,000 leprosy patients were receiving treatment at the end of 1996
567,000 new cases were detected in 1996 and at least 261,000 remained undetected.
1 - 2 million individuals remain disabled due to leprosy
1.6 billion people are at risk from leprosy
For more information, email - rkskilli@dove.mtx.net.au - or - ilep@ilep.org.uk
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME, CLICK HERE ON OUR LINK, THEN GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK ON MY EMAIL ADDRESS.
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 19:41:55 -0300
From: Luiz Jacintho da Silva
Organization: Unicamp
To: L-list
Subject: Lancet editorial Sat 13 Dec 1997
Sender: owner-leprosy@sun1.who.ch
Precedence: bulk
X-UIDL: 354f6cbd2f4f7f6bb401d79f33d91156
I believe the following editorial from The Lancet might be of interest to
subscribers of the list.
The Lancet Volume 350, Number 9093 - Saturday 13 December 1997
Editorial
Leprosy beyond the year 2000
The World Health Organization has as one of its goals the "Elimination
of leprosy as a public health problem by the year 2000". The
"problem" in this
context is defined by WHO as a prevalence of 1 case per 10 000
population. We are not talking about the total eradication of
Mycobacterium leprae. The wisdom of a timed objective for a disease that
has an 8-10 year incubation period may be questioned but there is no
harm
in having targets of this sort, provided success is not claimed
misleadingly.
Over the past year, in Leprosy Review and elsewhere, there have been
rumblings of doubt about the wisdom of focusing on prevalence,
especially
when the calculation counts those on anti-leprosy therapy to the neglect
statistically of the long-term disability. Multidrug therapy with
dapsone,
rifampicin, and clofazimine achieves good microbiological "cure" but the
immunological and neurological toll of leprosy still affects some 4
million
people.
Leprosy remains an endemic disease in 28 countries but it still strays
across
borders--a Los Angeles clinic has 500 cases on its books and sees 30 new
ones a year. There is no specific vaccine and surprisingly little is
known
about how M leprae is transmitted. The control strategy has, in the era
of
dapsone resistance, focused on case finding and multidrug therapy. This
approach has been very successful. Argument over whether prevalence
rather than incidence is the right measure of success must not be
allowed to
detract from the fact that the toll of leprosy has fallen impressively
over the
past decade. Back in 1985 the WHO estimate of period prevalence was
10-12 million cases worldwide. In 1996 it was 1.4 million, but that
includes
560 000 new cases.
On Dec 14-16, at WHO in Geneva, there are meetings of SAPEL, the
Special Programme to Eliminate Leprosy, which is aimed at treating
previously unreached leprosy patients. SAPEL may not be the right forum
for the admission that this particular WHO target is likely to be missed
but it
is the opportunity to discuss once more the fact that while the
prevalence
has been falling, incidence has not. Childhood cases, a reflection of
transmission now, may even be increasing, and evidence is emerging for
nasal carriage rates of M leprae DNA that points to there being ne
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