Rome (Fides Service) - International Leprosy, an international federation of major organisations fighting leprosy all over the world which guarantees 60% of the assistance given to lepers all over the world, has a new president Dr. Dunil Deepak. The Indian born medic worked among lepers in Indian slums for years before coming to Italy in 1988 where he is engaged in research and rehabilitation of leprosy patients. Dr Deepak is a consultant of the World Health Organisation and director of AIFO Scientific Medical Department.
Leprosy still exists
More than one new case every minute, ten million people still suffering this scourge: these are the basic figures of a disease which strikes the poorest of the poor in the world's lowest income countries. Although an effective cure does exist as yet no vaccination has been produced. Leprosy is not beaten, as Dr Deepak says in his message for the 50th World Day of solidarity with leprosy Sufferers. "Over ten years ago we dreamt of a world without leprosy. In 1991 we members of the World Health Organisation hoped that early treatment and specific therapy would reduce the number of cases by at least 1 out of every 10,000 and also break the transmission cycle of the disease". But so far the therapy has had no impact on the transmission cycle. New cases are registered every year, more than one per minute. According to a WHO report, in 1991 new cases registered were 608,992; in 2001, ten years later, the figure had risen to 760,695. (Fides Service 17/12/2002)