• Volume 68 , Number 3
  • Page: 336–40
NEWS AND NOTES

News and notes





This department furnishes information concerning institutions, organizations, and individuals engaged in work on leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases, and makes note of scientific meetings and other matters of interest.

Ethiopia. ALERT 2001 Training Calendar. We have received from Dr. Guido Groenen the following training schedule for ALERT for 2001.

January 24-February 28: Prevention and management of disabilities.

Target group: Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists as well as experienced leprosy workers involved in POD. Emphasis on both patient care (early detection of nerve deterioration, health promotion, problem solving) and program management (POD management, home based care and rehabilitation).

February 12-March 2: Clinical leprosy and tropical dermatology for physicians

Highly recommended for participants in the following "Management of Combined Programs" course who need to refresh their knowledge of clinical leprosy and tropical dermatology. The course can also be taken on its own by physicians responsible for diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with leprosy in either a hospital or a control program setting.

March 5-23: Management of combined leprosy and tuberculosis (TB) control programs for physicians

Target group: Experienced physicians responsible for managing a leprosy and TB control program at the regional level or above. Emphasis on program management: needs analysis, action plan, implementation of activities, supervision, evaluation, management of POD. Participants without leprosy experiences should also take the preceding "Clinical leprosy" course.

May 7-25: Essentials of leprosy and tuberculosis for administrative and program support staff

Target group: Administrative and managerial staff without a medical background, working in leprosy and TB programs and donor agencies. Objectives: To gain a better understanding of the two diseases, to communicate more effectively with the medical staff, and to contribute more efficiently in decision making and priority setting.

October 1-12: Introduction to leprosy.

Course specifically aimed at the participants in the following "TB Program Managers Course" who want to profit from their visit to ALERT to learn about leprosy. The course can also be taken on its own.

October 15-November 2: Tuberculosis program managers course

This course is organized jointly with the Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds University, U.K. Target audience: Health managers responsible for TB control activities at the national or intermediate level. Course objective: To present the concepts on which TB control strategies are based and to identify key program elements. The course modules are organized around the stages of the program management cycle.

November 12-23: Clinical leprosy for senior field staff

Highly recommended for the participants in the following "Management of Combined Programs" course who need to refresh their knowledge of clinical leprosy. The course can also be taken on its own.

November 26-December 14: Management of combined leprosy and tuberculosis control programs for senior field staff

Target group: Experienced nurses, paramedical workers or supervisors responsible for leprosy and TB control at the district (or equivalent) level. Emphasis on planning, implementation, supervision and evaluation of control activities, with special attention for POD, health promotion and support functions. Participants without leprosy experience should also take the preceding "Clinical leprosy" course.

In-service training: In-service training, tailor made to the individual trainee's needs and interest, can be arranged in surgery, physiotherapy, dermatology, ophthalmology, laboratory, etc.

For further information, please contact: ALERT Training Division, P.O. Box 165. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Tel.: +251-1-711524 or +251-1-712792; Fax: +251-1-711199 or +251-1-711390; Email: Alert@telecom.net.et

 

 

India. Workshop on Leprosy Research at the New Millennium. Leprosy research is recognized to be an important component of the global alliance. At a meeting of the International Federation of Anti-leprosy Associations (ILEP) in Delhi, India, in December 1999, it was felt that the time had come to revive and promote leprosy research, an activity that has declined greatly in intensity and in the number of scientists involved in the course of the last decade. A first step was the organization of a Workshop entitled "Leprosy Research at the New Millennium," which was held 26-28 June 2000 in Paris at the offices of the Association Française Raoul Follereau in Paris.

The first objective of the Workshop was to assess the current situation of leprosy research at the global level by reviewing progress in the various areas of leprosy research. However, the Workshop focused more on the future. The second objective was to identify new concepts and new tools required for leprosy elimination that might be generated by research projects within the foreseeable future. The third objective was to devise strategies for promoting research through international collaboration, strengthening research capacity in leprosy-endemic countries, and mobilizing the resources needed to support leprosy research.

The three-day Workshop was divided into eight sessions which included numerous scientific presentations and "brainstorming" discussions. At the end of the Workshop, a list of recommendations related to leprosy research was prepared by the members. To disseminate the scientific papers, discussions and recommendations that will result, a Proceedings will be published as a supplement to the December 2000 number of Leprosy Review.

The recommendations formulated by the members of the Workshop are: "New tools are required to accelerate the elimination of leprosy, and to enable prevention and improved treatment of disabilities. Therefore, biomedical and operational research must remain important activities in the future. The important topics in biomedical research are listed* below.

  1. An effective chemoprophylaxis may be useful in individuals at high risk for leprosy, and effective immunoprophylaxis may represent a means of eliminating leprosy from residual areas of high endemicity. The cost-effectiveness of the prophylactic measures should be studied.
  2. New drug regimens, employing new, more rapidly bactericidal drugs, should be developed in order to simplify and shorten multidrug therapy, without compromising efficacy, acceptability and cost-effectiveness.
  3. Rapid methods for detection of drug resistance, especially resistance to rifampin, should be further validated and applied.
  4. Concerted efforts should be made to identify relapses after multidrug therapy.
  5. Tools are required for the detection of infection by Mycobacterium leprae in the community, and for early diagnosis of the disease, particularly of multibacillary leprosy.
  6. An improved understanding of the mechanisms of nerve damage and reactions, so as to enable prediction and prevention of these complications, is essential.
  7. Improved treatment of leprosy reactions and of impairment of nerve function, to overcome the limitations of treatment by steroids and thalidomide, are needed.
  8. An improved understanding of the immune response to the organism, and identification of correlates of protection are required.
  9. The opportunities provided by sequencing the genome of M. leprae, which has just been completed, should be exploited to identify new drug targets, immunologically important molecules, and base-sequences useful for strain typing.
  10. The rapid advances just announced in sequencing the human genome should be used to study host-parasite interaction and the pathogenesis of leprosy at the molecular level.
  11. Continued supply of the special reagents and materials required for leprosy research should be ensured.

It is crucial that researchers and those who work in the area of leprosy control coordinate their work to ensure that research efforts are concentrated on the development of those tools most needed in the field, and that operational research is carried out to promote application of the tools. Coordination could best be accomplished by regular meetings among the involved scientists together with representatives of leprosy control programs."-Baohong Ji, Chairman, Organizing Committee

 

 

Spain. Certificado Internacional de Leprologia. We have received the announcement from the Universität de Valencia, Departament de Medicine, Direccio General de Salut Publica, Conselleria de Sanitat regarding the 2001 Certificado Internacional de Leprologia to be held in October 2001 which sets forth the program, professors and pertinent information as follows:

Programa

  1. Introducción. Historia de la Lapra.
  2. Aspectos Epidemiológicos en Espana y en el mundo.
  3. Concepto. Clasificación y formas clínicas.
  4. Microbiologia del Mycobacterium leprae.
  5. Lepra indeterminada.
  6. Lepra tuberculide y Lepra dimorfa.
  7. Lepra Lepromatosa.
  8. Leproreacciones: patogenia y formas.
  9. Histopatología de la lepra.
  10. Inmunohistoquimica de la lepra.
  11. Inmunología.
  12. Manifestaciones oftalmológicas.
  13. Manifestaciones neurológicas y secuelas.
  14. Manifestaciones nasales, bucofarígeas, otológicas y laríngeas.
  15. Lesiones óseas y articulares.
  16. Alopecia en la Lepra. Diagnóstico diferencial con otras alopecias
  17. Diagnóstico diferencial de la lepra.
  18. Lepra infantil.
  19. Lepra en las Americas.
  20. Tratamiento de la Lepra, de las leproreacciones y quirurgico.
  21. Inmunoprofilaxis.
  22. Pronóstico y Evolución.
  23. Manifestaciones clínicas cutâneas por Micobacterias atípicas.
  24. Ulcera de Buruli.
  25. Microbiologia de Micobacterias de interés en Dermatologia.
  26. Aspectos sociosanitarios de los pacientes con Lepra.
  27. Legislación espanola sobre la Lepra.
  28. Programa sanitario del control de la Lepra en Cuba.
  29. Lepra: Programas de eliminación.
  30. Situación de la Lepra en el mundo. Programa de la OMS.
  31. Prácticas de microscópio: tinciones visualización dei microorganismo.
  32. Prácticas de microscopio: estúdio de piezas histológicas de las distintas formas de lepra.
  33. Sesión clínica con discusión de casos clínicos.

Profesorado

José Terencio de las Aguas. Doctor en Medicina. Dermatólogo. Experto en Leprologia en la O.M.S. Consejero de la Sociedad Internacional de Leprologia.

Juan José Vilata Corell. Profesor Titular de Dermatologia. Facultad de Medicina de Valencia. Jefe Clínico del Servicio Dermatologia Hospital General Universitário Valencia.

José Miguel Fortea Baixauli. Profesor Titular de Dermatologia. Facultad de Medecina de Valencia. Jefe Clínico dei Servicio Dermatologia Hospital General Universitário Valencia.

José Miguel Nogueira Coito. Profesor Titular de Microbiologia. Facultad de Medicina de Valencia. Jefe dei Servicio de Microbiologia dei Hospital Dr. Peset. Valencia.

Juan José Camarena Minana. Profesor Titular de Microbiologia. Facultad de Medicina de Valencia. Médico Adjunto dei Servicio de Microbiologia dei Hospital Dr. Peset. Valencia.

Antonio Castells Rodellas. Catedrático de Dermatologia de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Jefe dei Servicio de Dermatologia dei Hospital Valle Ebrón. Barcelona.

Aurora Guerra Tapia. Profesor Titular de Dermatologia de la Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Complutense. Jefe Clínico Servicio de Dermatologia Hospital 12 de Octubre. Madrid.

Jesus Cuevas Santos. Professor Asociado de la Universidad de Alcalá de Henares. Servicio de Anatomia Patolólogica dei Hospital de Guadalajara.

Eduardo Fonseca Capdevila. Dermatólogo. Doctor en Medicina. Jefe dei Servicio de Dermatologia del Complejo Hospitalario Juan Canalejo de La Corufia.

Alfredo Abreu. Dermatólogo. Jefe del Dpto. de Dermatologia Sanitaria de la Habana (Cuba).

Michel Lechat. Profesor Emérito de Epidemiologia de la Universidad de Lovaina (Bélgica).

Carlos Fernando Gati. Jefe del Servicio de Dermatologia del Hospital Frances de Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Vicente Buigues Frau. Especialista en Oftalmologia

Maria Quintana Ginestar. Médico. Diplomada en Leprologia. Dra en Medicina. Centro de Salud de Denia.

Jorge Lopez Piá. Especialista en Medicina Familiar. Diplomado en Leprologia. Coordinador Centro de Salud de Denia.

Carmen Chofre Navarrete. Dermatóloga. Coordinadora del Control de la Lepra de la Consellería de Sanidad de la Comunidad Valenciana.

Características

Dirigido a: Médicos Internos y Residentes (MIRs), Especialistas en Dermatologia. Dermatólogos de áreas endémicas. Extranjeros de habla hispana. Otras licenciaturas y diplomaturas relacionadas con las Ciências de la Salud, fundamentalmente con la Lepra, Organizaciones No Gubernamentales (ONGs).

Duración: 32 horas. Universität de Valência.

Actividad Acreditada por la Comisión de Formación Continuada con (6,5 Créditos).

Período: Del 24 al 28 Octubre de 2000.

Horário: De Martes a Sábado de 9'00 a 14'00 horas y de 15'30 a 19'00 horas.

Lugar de impartición: Salón de Actos del Hospital General Universitário de Valencia. Servicio de Dermatologia y Venereología del HGU de Valencia. Avda. Tres Cruces, s/n. 46014 Valencia.

Matrícula: 15.000 Pts. (90,15 Euros).

Dirección

D. Juan José Vilata Corell

Profesor Titular de Dermatologia. Facultad de Medicina de Valencia. Jefe Clínico del Servicio Dermatologia Hospital General Universitário de Valencia.

D. José Terencio de las Aguas

Doctor en Medicina. Dermatólogo. Experto en Leprologia en la O.M.S. Consejero de la Sociedad Internacional de Leprologia.

Documentación a adjuntar

Tres fotos./ Fotocopia del D.N.I./ Fotocopia del expediente académico./ Fotocopia del Título de Licenciado o Diplomado/ Fotocopia de otros títulos o diplomas./ Hoja manuscrita en la que se expongan los movitos por los que se desea acceder al Curso./ Ficha de Preinscripción./ Curriculum Vitae abreviado./ Los profesionales, no universitários, deberán aportar desarrollo de actividades profesionales relacionadas con el curso.

Fecha limite de preincripción: Hasta el 30 de Septiembre de 2000.

 

 

Spain. XLIII Curso Internacional de Leprologia para Personal paramédico, Fontilles 25-30 September 2000.

Dirigido: Al personal paramédico. Misioneros. Diplomados en enfermería. Auxiliares sanitarios. Trabajadores sociales y otros titulados interesados en la lucha contra la lepra.

Organizado: Por el Sanatorio de San Francisco de Borja de Fontilles, y patrocinado por la Asamblea Expanola de la Soberana Orden de Malta y por la Caja de Ahorros del Mediterrâneo. CAM. Con la colaboración de Ia Conselleria de Sanidad de la Generalitat Valenciana.

Director: Dr. José Ramon Gómez Echevarría.

Profesorado: Personal sanitario del Sanatorio. Personal sanitario del grupo de Proyectos Internacionales de Fontilles y colaboradores externos. Este curso consta de 20 interesantes temas tanto a nivel teórico como práctico.

Información y Secretaria: Secretaria del Curso. Sanatorio San Francisco de Borja. 03791 Fontilles (Alicante). Espana. Tel.: 96 558 33 50. Fax: 96 558 33 76. E-mail: fontilles@ctv.es

Matrícula: Tasas de inscripción 3.000 Ptas. Matrícula gratuita. Los aspirantes a este curso deberán dirigir sus instancias a la secretaria del curso antes del 31 julio de 2000. Se dará preferencia a los que trabajen en centros oficiales dermatoleprológicos o que tengan el proyecto inmediato de trabajar en lepra.

Fecha y Lugar de Celebración: Del 25 al 30 de septiembre de 2000 en el Sanatorio de San Francisco de Borja. Fontilles. 03791 Fontilles (Alicante).

 

 

Spain. XXXVII Curso Internacional de Leprologia para Medicos, Fontilles 20-25 November 2000.

Dirigido: A médicos dermatólogos que deseen especializarse en leprologia y médicos interesados en la lucha contra la lepra.

Organizado: Por el Sanatorio de San Francisco de Borja de Fontilles, y patrocinado por la Asamblea Espanola de la Soberana Orden de Malta y por la Caja de Ahorros dei Mediterrâneo. CAM. Con la colaboración de la Conselleria de Sanidad de la Generalitat Valenciana.

Director: Dr. José Ramon Gómez Echevarría.

Profesorado: El director dei curso y los médicos residentes y especialistas dei Sanatorio y Profs, de Dermatologia de las Universidades y Hospitales espanoles y extranjeros. El programa, que consta de 22 temas, se desarrollará tanto a nivel teórico como práctico.

Información y Secretaria: Secretaria del Curso. Sanatorio San Francisco de Borja. 03791 Fontilles (Alicante). Espana. Tel.: 96 558 33 50. Fax: 96 558 33 76. E-mail: san@ctv.es

Matrícula: Tasas de inscripción 3.000 Ptas. Matrícula gratuita. Los aspirantes a este curso deberán dirigir sus instancias a la secretaria dei curso antes del 31 julio de 2000. Se dará preferencia a los que trabajen en centros oficiales dermatoleprológicos o que tengan el proyecto inmediato de trabajar en lepra.

Fecha y Lugar de Celebración: Del 20 al 25 de noviembre de 2000 en el Sanatorio de San Francisco de Borja. Fontilles. 03791 Fontilles (Alicante).

 

 

Switzerland. New TDR website.

  • Over 500 interactive pages, extensively interlinked, with hyperlinks to key external websites
  • Easy-to-use graphical interface, with flexible navigation supported by a full-text search facility
  • General information about TDR: strategy, organization, governance, resources and outcomes
  • A fully detailed interactive version of TDR's 14th Program Report 1997-1998, with built-in pop-up definition boxes of technical terms
  • A complete set of TDR's "Final Report Series" presenting leading examples of TDR-supported projects
  • Full details of TDR grants, workplans, research priorities and deadlines for proposals, with online application forms
  • An online database search of over 11,000 research publications arising from TDR supported research
  • Examples to illustrate TDR's trainees, collaborating institutions and partners
  • Multimedia resources, including videos and searchable access to the TDR image library-a unique and dynamic catalogue of over 10,000 images
  • A complete listing of TDR publications and reports, with recent documents available importable document format (pdf)
  • All the latest news from TDR, including information and articles from TDR's newsletter, TDRnews.

Subjects covered: Leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, Chagas disease, malaria, leprosy, African trypanosomiasis, tuberculosis and dengue.-Lepr. Rev. 71 (2000) 222

 

 

U.K. Wellesley Bailey Awards. The Leprosy Mission International (TLMI) welcomes nominations for the Wellesley Bailey Awards to be presented at a special reception in England on 1 December 2001. They are for people who have experienced leprosy, who have made a significant contribution to their community or society, and have shown outstanding courage in overcoming challenging situations.

Four separate awards will be given; three to people who have had considerable influence at the local level and one for a person who has had considerable experience at national or international levels. The deadline for nominations with accompanying papers to reach TLMI is 25 June 2001.

Further details about the awards and required documentation are obtainable from: Joyce Missing, The Leprosy Mission International Office, 80 Windmill Road, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 0QH, U.K. Fax +44 20 8569 7808; email JoyceM@TLMInt.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* These recommendations are not listed in order of priority.

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