Leprosy Mailing List – November 15, 2015
Ref.: (LML) ILA Congress, Beijing, 2016
From: Ben Naafs, Munnekeburen, the Netherlands
I write to you as president of the International Leprosy Association. It concerns the (programme of the) ILA Congress in China, 2016
If I may:
I think there is a real need for a session about the present clinical problems. It is no good to do as if leprosy is on the brink of elimination. It is not just only a public health problem concerning deformed people. But more than in the past a clinical problem as well, which can lead to deformities. Clinicians, and not the ones sitting behind a desk or in a traveling car to see the general problems, but the ones who see and care for the patient, need support and guidance. Not by promising new tests, which from past times onwards have not been delivered, but by expert clinicians explaining how to care for the active patient, how to handle and treat, and how to follow up the patient, also after release from treatment. Those “experts” should not discuss among themselves but interact with the audience. Please, make time for this within the congress.
Just a short list (could be more extensive of course):
- A number of clinical problems: How are we sure it is leprosy and if it needs treatment?
- Is it a relapse, a new infection or disease related complains? Which steps to take?
- How to diagnose a reaction and how to treat? For how long? How to follow up the treatment?
- When do we need nerve surgery? Does it contribute to improvement and in which way?
- What are the problems with for instance prednisone and the other drugs like thalidomide, how to follow it up, and when it occurs how to handle?
- Etc.
We like to suggest clinicians to answer these questions and who think out of “the box”. For example: Europe: Wim Theuvenet, Salvatore Noto, Enrico Nunzi, a.o. Africa:Joseph Kawuma, a.o. Asia: VV Pai, Joel Almeda, Narashinha Rao, Sunil Suneetha, Vanya Shetty,a.o.. The US: I do not know excellent clinician except Rea. South America, Brazil: Sinesio Talhari, José Augusto Nery, Jaison Barreto, Cassio Ghidella, a.o.
We have to brainstorm, for the people to raise and to answer questions and find someone experienced to lead the dialog between the “expert clinicians” and the audience. But foremost the audience must get enough time to comment and react on answers by the “experts”.
May be also a main lecture can be given by a real clinician, than the researchers and managers are exposed to the problems of clinicians.
May be there are some scientific critical experts on the background like Tom Ottenhoff, Kiran Katoch, Indira Nath, Pranab Das, Jose Garbino, Ezunir Sarno, Jan Hendrik Richardus.
This is an open letter and we ask for comments and support.
With regards,
Ben
LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto and P Schreuder
LML blog link: http://leprosymailinglist.blogspot.it/
Contact: Dr Pieter Schreuder << editorlml@gmail.com
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