The International Leprosy Association, the professional society of physicians, scientists and individuals with an interest in leprosy, has been responsible for organising the 17th International Leprosy Congress, which is to take place in Hyderabad this 30th January to 4th February, under the auspices of the Government of India. This will be the second International Leprosy Congress to be held in India.  

When Indira Gandhi spoke at the 12th International Leprosy Congress hosted in New Delhi in 1984, she referred to the broader issues of leprosy and the challenges they pose. "Perhaps for the first time, we can now visualize a world without leprosy, but ... prejudice and ignorance die hard."

Since then, many persons have been cured of leprosy worldwide and in India. But cases are continuing to be discovered. 139,746 new cases of leprosy were detected in India in 2006 as recorded in WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record. Also, as Indira Gandhi indicated over 20 years ago, much still needs to be done to:  

• promote the human rights of persons affected by leprosy; and to


• overcome stigma.

These subjects will be the focus of speeches, workshops, plenary sessions and panel discussions throughout the Congress. As will the following topics, which are essential in working towards the goal of a world without leprosy and improving the lives of those affected by leprosy:  

• the prevention of disability;


• the rehabilitation of persons affected by leprosy in their communities; and


• the discovery of ever more effective tools to detect and treat leprosy.   

Since the last Congress in August 2002 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, ILEP has been collaborating closely with the World Health Organization. Together they have produced the Global Leprosy Strategy for Further Reducing the Leprosy Burden and Sustaining Leprosy Control Activities: 2006-2010. Currently they are jointly ensuring its implementation through training programmes and the accompanying Operational Guidelines. This is in line with the recommendation made by the ILA General Meeting of Members on 9th August 2002, which recognised that there would be cases of leprosy for many years to come: "The ILA General Meeting of Members calls on all stakeholders (including national governments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations) to review their recommendations and guidelines for leprosy-related activities, in the light of the Report*."   

At this Congress the President of ILEP, Mr Rigo Peeters, will emphasise ILEP's continuing collaboration with all stakeholders involved in leprosy, disability and development work, and the importance of all countries basing their leprosy control policies on the Global Strategy. He will highlight ILEP's insistence on an evidence-based, patient-centred, holistic approach. In addition, Mr Peeters will insist on the need to reconfirm political commitment to sustain effective and quality assured leprosy control.  

Co-sponsors of the 17th International Leprosy Congress:  

• International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP)


• World Health Organization (WHO)


• The Nippon Foundation (TNF)


• Novartis


• International Leprosy Union (ILU)


• Hind Kusht Nivaran Sangh (HKNS)


• Indian Association of Leprologists (IAL)


• International Association for Integration Dignity and Economic Advancement (IDEA)-India

Click here for the website of the 17th International Leprosy Congress: http://www.17ilc2008.com/

* For the Report of the ILA Technical Forum see International Journal of Leprosy and other Mycobacterial Diseases, Volume 70, Number 1 (supplement), dated March, 2002.

 

Categories: Asia, India, International Collaboration