Might ILEP/Infolep undertake a review of leprosy references in key medical textbooks?

Leprosy Mailing List, January 20th, 2009

Ref.: Might ILEP/Infolep undertake a review of leprosy references in key medical textbooks?
From: Soutar D., London , UK

Dear Leprosy Mailing List readers,

With the regards to the outrageous material in Parks textbook of Preventive Medicine, 2007 edition, my suggestion would be that WHO and the Indian MoH write jointly to the publisher of this text book with a suggested “corrigendum” demanding their commitment to insert this in all future copies being distributed. It should be stressed to the publishers and in a letter to all medical colleges that this text book should no longer be promoted without the addition of such a corrigendum.

I am sure there are other materials which continue to promote wrong and even harmful information. Seeking to ensure that all medical reference text books in key leprosy endemic countries have a correct reference to, and information about, leprosy is an important task for the future and I might suggest that ILEP/Infolep could undertake to carry out a review of references in key medical reference texts from various countries. It would be useful to this end if people could bring to our attention other instances of erroneous and outdated reference material on leprosy.

With best wishes to all LML readers for 2009.
Doug Soutar
ILEP General Secretary