BIKASH Nepal, International training announcement 2010

Leprosy Mailing List – December 23^rd, 2009

Ref.: BIKASH Nepal, International training announcement 2010

From: G. Gurung, Pokhara, Nepal

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Dear Dr. Salvatore,

Would you kindly publish our training announcement (below) through the Leprosy Mailing List? Thank you very much for your highly valued service.

With Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Greetings!

Gopal Gurung
Program Manager
BIKASH Nepal
Green Pastures Complex
PO Box: 28
Pokhara

Nepal

Phone: 00977 61 430562
Fax: 00977 61 430940
Web: www.bikashnepal.org.np
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International training announcement 2010:

1. Training and Communication Skills (TCS): 25 Jan - 05 Feb

2. Rehabilitation and Prevention of Disability (RPOD): 08 Feb - 19 Feb

3. Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR): 22 Feb - 05 Mar

4. Basic Leprosy Training for Medical Practitioners: 18 Apr - 23 Apr

5. Basic Dermatology for Medical Practitioners: 25 Apr - 30 Apr

For further details, please contact:

Gopal Gurung

BIKASH Nepal

PO Box: 28

Pokhara

Nepal

Phone: 00977 61 430562
Fax: 00977 61 430940

E-mail: ggurung@bikashnepal.org.np

Website: www.bikashnepal.org.np

Workshop on Epidemiology of Leprosy. Chennai, India, 30 January 2010

Leprosy Mailing List – November 30^th, 2009

Ref.: Workshop on Epidemiology of Leprosy. Chennai, India, 30 January 2010 (see attachment)

From: S K Samanta, Midnapore (East), W.B., India

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Dear Dr Noto,

I would be very grateful if you can circulate the attached invitation to the leprosy mailing list readers.

Best regards,

Dr. Swapan K Samanta

Hon. Secretary, Indian Association of Leprologists

267- Abasbari, Tamluk, Dist: Midnapore (East) W.B. 721636

Tel: 03228 266101, (M) 09434023759, 09733972029, 09800384145

Fax: 03228 266366/ 266101

Emails:

swapan_samanta1(at)rediffmail.com; swapan_samanta(at)hotmail.com

Can the current health delivery system in India manage the leprosy burden?

Leprosy Mailing List – November 22^nd, 2009

Ref.: Can the current health delivery system in India manage the leprosy burden?

From: R Ganapati, Mumbai, India

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Dear Dr Noto,

The important role the unique internet medium initiated by you for stimulating the thinking of several experts genuinely concerned about the so-called “rare and neglected disease” of leprosy is exemplified by the prompt response received in respect of the LML of 8^th November 2009 on the above subject. Besides the response from Dr B. Vijayakrishnan, India Representative, Fontilles which you have published (LML dated 16^th November), I have received personal letters from Drs Grace Warren, David Scollard and P K Das.

Dr Vijayakrishnan in stressing the role of NGOs, has wondered “if BLP (Bombay Leprosy Project) clinics were not existing what would have happened?” This was the point which precisely was raised by me during an interesting debate which followed my presentation at the New Delhi. Conference of the Indian Association of Leprologists. There was no answer when I raised the point of how BLP’s specialized services offered in its clinics which were financed partly by one of the ILEP agencies recently received a set back due to abrupt withdrawal of funds. We, as an NGO are forced to run the clinics as well as a vast rural disability care program through donations raised with difficulty from a few individuals. Most donors are made to believe that leprosy is finished thanks to WHO ‘s policies and the efforts of the government.

Dr Vijayakrishnan has also hinted that patients may form their own groups for “advocacy” presumably to fight for their rights. Though this is desirable, stigma associated with leprosy and lack of awareness about their human rights by the poor patients are factors which may render this proposition difficult.

With kind regards,

Dr R Ganapati

Director Emeritus, BLP

Can the current health delivery system in India manage the leprosy burden?

Leprosy Mailing List – November 16^th, 2009

Ref.: Can the current health delivery system in India manage the leprosy burden?

From: B. Vijayakrishnan, Secunderabad, India

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Dear Dr Noto

I appreciate Dr Ganapati’s call and appeal inviting attention to the real problem associated with leprosy in the Indian context (LML Nov. 8^th , 2009). The numbers coming out every year on prevalence and new case detection rate (NCDR) in the recent past tend to belittle the actual size of the problem and attention needed by people affected by leprosy from the health sector. As he observes “visible disabilities were present to an extent of about 26.4 per 10,000” in the rural area and the health system is indifferent to this problem. It is a huge number of people at the receiving end of this cruelty.

However let us also address another question which could be very uncomfortable for all leprosy workers and NGOs: “Are we blowing up the problem for our own existence?” As Dr Ganapati reports in his address at the Indian Association of Leprologists (IAL), “Out of 573 new leprosy cases only about 15.8% sought treatment at these health posts, remaining reporting directly to Bombay Leprosy Project (BLP) clinics.” If BLP clinics were not existing what would have happened?

A Public Health specialist answered to this question (with the same indifference), ‘many of them would have self-healed’. Among those who did not self heal would seek health later. And I think the crux of the whole leprosy debate in the wake of ‘elimination’ lies here: how much of it we could accept? If we consider everyone of them as a human being we would not like them to be in this situation with the advanced research facilities and knowledge we have now. If the leprosy workers and organisations (be it government or non-government) do not try to solve this – I am sure others will not mind it. It is not just the numbers we are dealing with – but the enormous suffering, pain and pangs in people which could have been avoided. Leprosy NGOs have a big role to play not only in offering services but also strengthening health systems and sensitising the general health staff to the needs of people affected by leprosy in India especially in the states where many people need such services.

If the people affected by leprosy were a little more aggressive (considering the huge number in India) I feel that they would have handled a lot more advocacy by themselves.

Regards,

Vijay

India Representative, Fontilles

Indian Journal of Leprosy and cure of leprosy

Leprosy Mailing List – November 11^th, 2009

Ref.: Indian Journal of Leprosy and cure of leprosy

From: S. Deepak, Bologna, Italy

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Dear Salvatore,

While going through the new issue of Indian Journal of Leprosy (January-March 2009) I saw the web-address and it was a pleasure to discover that finally this journal is available on internet at the following address:

http://www.ijl.org.in/index.html

The archives of the journal from 2000 to 2008 are already available on the website. Congratulations to all the persons, who made this possible and I hope that with time, older archives of the journal will also be made available.

In this same issue of the journal I saw a report about a meeting held in Orissa (India) in February 2009 about "Cure of leprosy". I think that in term of role of the health services the discussions on the cure of the disease focus almost exclusively on cure of the infection by leprosy bacillus while probably it would be useful to look at the issue of cure in the following terms:

(1) Cure of bacterial infection;

(2) Cure of the immunological disease processes caused by the infection - that is cure of reactions;

(3) Cure of the neurological disease processes resulting in disability caused by the infection.

With MDT, it seems that defining "cure" of bacterial infection is sufficiently clear, as evident also from the above-mentioned report in the journal. For majority of the affected persons, probably cure of the immunological disease processes can also be expected. However, I think that like so many other diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, the neurological disease processes would require lifelong treatment and no cure can be expected.

This is different from all other aspects such as stigma and discrimination, that may not covered by health services.

I can understand that vertical leprosy control programmes were focusing only on cure from bacterial infection, but if treatment of leprosy is part of primary health care, shouldn't cure be seen in all the different aspects of care required by affected persons?

With regards,

Sunil

Dr Sunil Deepak

Medical Advisor

AIFO, Bologna, Italy

www.aifo.it/english/

Can the current health delivery system in India manage the leprosy burden?

Leprosy Mailing List – November 11^th, 2009

Ref.: Can the current health delivery system in India manage the leprosy burden?

From: D. Scollard, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

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Dear Dr Ganapati,

I refer to your LML message and attached paper dated Nov. 8^th, 2009. I think the information described in your abstract is valuable and I personally would encourage you to put the details into a manuscript to be published so that others can examine it and refer to it.

Is there interest in publishing this in the Indian Journal of Leprosy?

David Scollard

Can the current health delivery system in India manage the leprosy burden?

Leprosy Mailing List – November 8^th, 2009

Ref.: Can the current health delivery system in India manage the leprosy burden? (see attachment)

From: Ganapati R., Mumbai, India

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Dear Dr Noto,

I am enclosing my critical comments on leprosy management in some selected parts of India when I have done field studies. This was the subject of my invited lecture at the Conference of the Indian Association of Leprologists held in New Delhi on 2-4 October 2009.

Following the presentation there was a lively debate on the role of NGOs, assisting the National Leprosy Eradication Programme of the Govt. of India. Though no definite conclusions were drawn after the session which was chaired by the Chief Leprosy Program Officer of the Govt. of India, there was general agreement there is a vast scope for improvement in managing the field aspects of leprosy in India.

If you think that this write up is worth publication as an LML you may consider my request so that I may have the benefit of exchange of views from many of your readers.

Thanks & regards,

Dr R Ganapati

Director Emeritus

Bombay Leprosy Project