Greetings: R. H. Thangaraj, Secretary International Leprosy Association
Your Royal Highness, Honorable Minister, Mr. Mayor, Representative of Her Majesty the Queen, Mrs. Veder-Smit, Professor Lechat. Dignitaries, and my dear Friends,
This is a great day for me for I have been looking forward to this day ever since I was elected Secretary' at the last Congress.
We are very happy indeed that His Royal Highness the Prince is with us today. This is a great honor for all of us. His Royal Highness, while talking to us this morning, told about his first association with leprosy when he was a young boy of 5 in Africa. During recent years His Royal Highness also visited a leprosy colony near Madras. He is a great friend of India, and recalled his association with many of our leaders during his many visits to India. 1. who come from India and also as Secretary of the International Leprosy Association (ILA), take great pride in having him at this International Leprosy Congress.
We are grateful indeed to the Nedcrlandsc Stichting voer Leprabestrijding (NSL) for agreeing to host the Congress at The Hague. They have set up a separate foundation for this Congress and made Mr. de Bok the Organizing Secretary for this Congress. They have done an excellent job. QLT, a professional organization, was appointed to make all the arrangements for the Congress, and I am very happy that efficient work has been done during the last four years in organizing this successful Congress.
The scientific program has been prepared by the ILA under the Presidentship of Professor Lechat. There have been few alterations in the scientific programs from the previous Congresses. For the first time, the scientific program will include five state-ofthe-art lectures on very important subjects in leprosy. The number of scientific sessions has also been increased. I take the opportunity to thank the NSL, the Organizing Committee, and QLT.
As Secretary General of the Congress, I have great pleasure in declaring the Congress open. The scientific program will start with the first state-of-the-art lecture in this very hall. I wish all of you a happy stay, good fellowship, and your valuable contribution at the scientific sessions.
SCOPE OF THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
In addition to the papers presented at the Congress, five state-of-the-art lectures were delivered:
Immunological Tools for Leprosy Control Paul E. M. Fine
Recent Developments in Molecular Biology Barry R. Bloom
Operational Aspects of Multidrug Therapy Marijke Becx Bleumink
Nerve Damage in Leprosy Charles K. Job
Social Science Research on Social Dimensions of Leprosy; Where Are We Going from Here? Luzviminda Valencia
These lectures were well received and the JOURNAL will be publishing them as Guest Editorials.
Oral (265 papers) and poster (688) presentations were made in sessions on: clinical aspects, immunology, treatment, microbiology, surgery and rehabilitation, ophthalmology, nerve damage, experimental leprosy, epidemiology, experimental therapy, pathology, and training and social services.
Teaching and training sessions and video presentations were also available. Spoken cassettes included: Leprosy Immunology (B. R. Bloom); Epidemiology and Control (M. F. Lechat); Design and Implementation of a Leprosy Information System (C. B. Misson); Pathophysiology of Nerve Damage (P. W. Brand); Assessment of Management of Neuropathic Limbs (G. Warren); Chemotherapy in Leprosy (R. R. Jacobson); Histopathological Diagnosis of Leprosy (C. K. Job); How to Diagnose and Classify Leprosy (R. E. Pfaltzgraff); Leprosy Control: Educating Community and Patients (J. Neville); The Eye in Leprosy, Part I (V. C. Joffrion); The Eye in Leprosy, Part II (V. C. Joffrion) and Recognition and Management of Reactive Phenomena in Leprosy (L. J. Yoder).
Video presentations were: Keep Blinking, The Red Eye, and Eye in Leprosy (all by N. Suryawanshi); Leprosy Can Be Cured (M. Barnes); Lasso Procedure in Claw Hand (M. Virmond); Patient Care (DANLEP-DANIDA); Healing While Walking and Painless Feet (both by E. P. Fritischi); Mechanics Not Medicine (P. W. Brand); Working Through Groups, Beyond the Bottom Line, and Zeroing Distances (all by DANLEPDANIDA); Nerve in Leprosy (E. P. Fritschi); Not Pills Alone (H. Thangaraj); Chemotherapy in Leprosy (K. Jesudasan); Skin Smears for M. leprae (C. J. G. Chacko); Arunodayam (The Leprosy Mission); Get to Know Hospital Lauro de Souza Lima (M. Virmond); Kalaupapa Settlement (A. S. Law); India MDT, Health Education Programs (UNICEF); How to Diagnose and Classify Leprosy (ALM-Carville).