(LML) WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record

Leprosy Mailing List – August 31,  2013 

Ref.:  (LML)   WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record

From:  Premanshu Bhushan, New Delhi, India

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Dear Dr Schreuder,

 

The WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record 8835 has been uploaded on WHO website (available here: http://www.who.int/wer/2013/wer8835.pdf ).This deals with the global leprosy situation. A careful perusal of the document however brings out a serious error. In previous weekly epidemiological records numbered wer8734 (available at :

 http://www.who.int/wer/2012/wer8734.pdf) and wer8636 (available at:  http://www.who.int/wer/2011/wer8636.pdf)   the prevalence and new case detection rates are similarly calculated. The prevalence of leprosy is calculated per 10 000 population while the annual new case detection rate is calculated per 100 000 population. The same formula is used in new report that is wer8835

 

Now let us take a look at the reported data in these three documents:

 

WER no:     8636

Total cases (Prevalence, rate per 10 000) : 192 246 (0.34)   

Annual new cases detected (rate per 100 000): 228 474 (3.93)

 

WER no:    8734

Total cases (Prevalence, rate per 10 000) : 181 941 (0.34)

Annual new cases detected (rate per 100 000): 219 075 (4.06)

 

WER no:    8835

Total cases (Prevalence, rate per 10 000) : 189 018 (0.33)

Annual new cases detected (rate per 100 000): 232 857 (0.40)

 

Obviously, it is a mistake because with the same denominator  and almost similar numerator the result cannot be so different. In my opinion new case detection rate should have been 4.0   instead of 0.4. 

 

I would request you to kindly bring it to the notice of respective authorities and members of LML. Such errors in the WHO report is a very serious issue as it is looked upon as being most authoritative world over. A correction or clarification of this mistake should be done as soon as possible. I am ready to be corrected if I am wrong in my conclusion.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dr. Premanshu Bhushan

 

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LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto and P Schreuder

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Contact: Dr Pieter Schreuder << editorlml@gmail.com