Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - On 20 September the Brazilian minister of health issued a statement admitting that figures showing a fall in recent in the number of persons receiving treatment for leprosy were incorrect. Those in charge of a programme to eradicate leprosy received international pressure to adopt various expedients to make figures appear more optimistic than the real situation, so as to reach the goal to eradicate the disease within the date set by the World Health Organisation. One expedient was to base reports on the figures recorded in the national health system network on 15 January of the successive year instead of data referring to 31 March of the previous year. This strategy showed that the number of new cases of leprosy in 2004 was 38,423 when the real figure was 51,000.
This statement in question was issued by newly appointed programme leaders who have decided to adopt a new strategy.
Dr Maria Leide, former advisor to AIFO (Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau) appointed head of the national leprosy programme said the new strategy rather than the false "eradication of leprosy" , will promote serious combating of the disease as advised by AIFO and Brazilian NGOs active in this field.
An article published by Dr Sunil Deepak, In charge of AIFO Scientific Activity and WHO advisor, affirms that the strategy of "falsifying " information on epidemics could have been adopted by other states to reach the goal of eradicating leprosy by 2000, and expressed the hope that other health ministers will have the courage to denounce underhand methods and have recourse at last to a fair fight against the disease. Article by Sunil Deepak www.aifo.it/saperne_di_piu/lebbra/materiale1/pagina4.html
(AP) (21/9/2007 Agenzia Fides; Righe:28; Parole:314)
