French speaking leprosy surgeon

Leprosy Mailing List, June 17th, 2008

Ref.: French speaking leprosy surgeon
From: Ortuno Gutierrez N., Bujumbura, Burundi

Dear Dr Salvatore,

Leprosy is still a health problem in Burundi. The last seven years the new cases that we have reported varies between 122 (in 2000) to 333 (in 2003). In 2007, we had 239 new cases, 91% of them were MB cases. In the near future we do not expect a change in this trend.

The big problem that we had is the delay of diagnosis; more than 20% of new cases have 2° of disability. The national Leprosy and TB programme with the support of Damien Foundation and the Belgian Technical Cooperation are organizing training for the health care workers in the endemics areas every quarter. Also the community is implicated; we have trained the local health promoters in order to help us to suspect and to follow-up leprosy patients.

We have a plan to start social and chirurgical rehabilitation. The big problem that we are facing now is to find a French speaking consultant with the necessary expertise to train a local surgeon in order to keep on this activity in the future. May be the readers of the Leprosy Mailing list could help us to find an experimented surgeon with good proficiency in speaking French.

I would like to thank you for keeping this Leprosy Mailing List that helps us to be updated and to learn more about better care for leprosy patients. Thank you again for your help.

Best regards,

Dr. Nimer ORTUÑO GUTIERREZ
Representative of Damien Foundation in Burundi
Medical Advisor of National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme (PNLT)
B.P. 24 26 Bujumbura
Burundi
Tel.: (257) 22.25.00.71; (257) 22.22.41.50 Fax: (257) 22. 21.85.85
E- mail: pnlt(at)usan-bu.net ; nimeortunog(at)yahoo.fr