Fw: Ref.: (LML) Food for thought – what about leprosy in 2022?

 
Leprosy Mailing List – December 22,  2021

 

Ref.:  (LML) Food for thought – what about leprosy in 2022?

 

From:  Wim Theuvenet, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands

 

 

Dear Pieter,

 

Thank you for your valuable editorial letter on the current global situation of leprosy.

 

It seems clear that there are still plenty of challenges in many areas!

 

To name just a few:

• Do we still need more effective drugs to address immune reactions and neuritis?
• How many leprosy affected patients cannot be diagnosed in time because of existing stigma, lack of knowledge at local health posts or because of Covid? 
• How many patients have progressive nerve function loss that goes undetected and untreated?
• How many diagnosed patients lack access to rehabilitation programs?
• If so, many countries have been labelled that leprosy is no longer a "public health problem," is this reflected in their current situation regarding the new cases detection rate and the child Gr2 deformity rate?
• Is there a need for a new survey study in former high endemic areas?
• How effective is PEP+, and if the answer is positive, will it be feasible to provide PEP+ to a 30-40 million contacts in the next 20 years? 
• When will we see serological biomarkers that will help in the early diagnosis of leprosy?

 

Thank you to the LML Board for encouraging discussion of these topics!

 

Also, to the LML Board and its members, we wish you all a Merry Christmas and Light on the coming Year!

 

With heartfelt greetings,

 

Wim Theuvenet

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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