COVID-19 and the Unfinished Agenda of VISION 2020.

PURPOSE: To critically evaluate the potential impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on global ophthalmology and VISION 2020. DESIGN: Perspective supplemented with epidemiologic insights from available online databases. METHODS: We extracted data from the Global Vision Database (2017) and Global Burden of Disease Study (2017) to highlight temporal trends in global blindness since 1990, and provide a narrative overview of how COVID-19 may derail progress toward the goals of VISION 2020. RESULTS: Over 2 decades of VISION 2020 advocacy and program implementation have culminated in a universal reduction of combined age-standardized prevalence of moderate-to-severe vision impairment (MSVI) across all world regions since 1990. Between 1990 and 2017, low-income countries observed large reductions in the age-standardized prevalence per 100,000 persons of vitamin A deficiency (25,155 to 19,187), undercorrected refractive disorders (2,286 to 2,040), cataract (1,846 to 1,690), onchocerciasis (5,577 to 2,871), trachoma (506 to 159), and leprosy (36 to 26). Despite these reductions, crude projections suggest that more than 700 million persons will experience MSVI or blindness by 2050, principally owing to our growing and ageing global population. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the many resounding successes of VISION 2020, the burden of global blindness and vision impairment is set to reach historic levels in the coming years. The impact of COVID-19, while yet to be fully determined, now threatens the hard-fought gains of global ophthalmology. The postpandemic years will require renewed effort and focus on vision advocacy and expanding eye care services worldwide.

Role of national dermatology societies: A perspective from Tunis.

Dermatology in French-speaking African countries is facing many challenges. Dermatology societies, if they exist, are relatively young and have limited financial resources to provide regular training opportunities for their members and those in training. In several sub-Saharan nations, the small number of dermatologists is truly alarming with the prevalence of such major skin diseases as cutaneous leishmaniasis, AIDS, mycetoma, leprosy, and the consequences of skin bleaching procedures, reaching catastrophic figures.

The CILAD, a model of an international dermatologic society, united by geographic, linguistic, and cultural nexus.

The Ibero Latin American College of Dermatology, CILAD, the largest dermatologic organization in the region, was established in 1948 during the course of the V International Congress of Leprosy held in Havana, Cuba. Constituted in its beginning with fewer than 100 dermatologists from nine countries, its growth has been exponential, reaching now around 4000 members spread throughout Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, and other regions of the world. In recent years, academic activity has been intense, such as the development of several institutional programs, like its community health care program, designed for geographic areas lacking dermatologic care in the Latin American region. This contribution presents a review of its history, noting the dermatologists and personalities who ennoble the institution. The multiple areas of interest of this growing dermatologic organization are described, and the projections toward the future are discussed.

Filipinas: próximo Congreso Internacional de la Lepra / No disponible

No disponible

Manifiesto de las asociaciones y sociedades brasileñas contra la implementación de la multiterapia uniforme (U-MDT) de 6 dosis para el tratamiento de la lepra en su país / No disponible

No disponible

The social transformation of Singapore medicine through 55 years of the SMJ.

The Singapore Medical Journal (SMJ) has in the past 55 years reflected the phenomenal socioeconomic progress of Singapore. Publications in the pre-independent years were mainly on diseases like cholera, diphtheria, leprosy, tetanus and worm infestation. In the new millennium, the research papers included molecular genetics, health economics, obesity, Internet medicine, cancer, cosmetic surgery and palliative medicine. The annual SMA Lecture published in the SMJ provides an ethical compass for doctors to remind them of primum non nocere.

Brazilian Society of Dermatology against leprosy.

The Brazilian Society of Dermatology promoted a national campaign against leprosy in 2012, involving their State Regional, Accredited Services of Dermatology and Referral Services in Leprosy. Consisted of clarification to the population about the disease and a day of medical voluntary service. Ninety services (57 Accredited Services and 33 Reference Services) participated, distributed in 23 states. The campaign examined 3,223 people and 421 new cases were diagnosed, 54,4% female, 74,3% between 19 and 64 years and 8,3% in children under 15 years. Of the 217 classified cases, 58,5% was paucibacillary and 41,5% was multibacillary. The results were posted on the Brazilian Society of Dermatology website.

Review of the 94th Annual Meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists, Glasgow 2014.

This is a review of the 94th Annual Meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists, held in Glasgow from 1 to 3 July 2014. The conference covered some of the latest developments in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and cancer, a follow-up on the methylisothiazolinone contact allergy epidemic, advances in genetically inherited disorders and somatic mutations underlying birth marks. In addition, there was an international perspective on vitiligo, leprosy and HIV, and a session discussing the regulatory process behind pharmaceutical development.

The 18th International Leprosy Congress: Brussels 2013--a special event.

Everything is now in place for an excellent Congress. There have been a large number of abstracts submitted of high quality and diversity. There has been a robust process of peer review with a large panel of reviewers. The Scientific Programme is based on these submissions and already there are a large number of people from all over the world registered to attend and participate. However we recognise that it is not possible for everyone to attend and so all the plenary sessions and abstracts for the Congress will be made available in the public domain after the Congress.

SBD-RESP in active search for leprosy cases.

BACKGROUND: The Brazilian Society of Dermatology of the State of Sao Paulo (SBD-RESP), supported by the Sao Paulo State Foundation Against Leprosy and acting jointly with Sao Paulo State Services of Dermatology, accredited by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, launched the campaign "SBD-RESP in active search for leprosy cases". OBJECTIVES: To assist the National Leprosy Control Program in eliminating Hansen's disease. METHODS: All of the Sao Paulo State Services of Dermatology, accredited by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, were invited to join the campaign. The 17 Services which accepted to participate received a spreadsheet of data and models of informative materials about the disease. The campaign lasted from May to July 2010. At the end of the campaign, each Service sent the spreadsheet data for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 1,718 people were examined and 90 cases of Hansen's disease were diagnosed. Most of the individuals infected were male and white and presented similar percentages of multibacillary and paucibacillary groups. Twelve percent had a family history of leprosy. The highest number of cases was detected in Sao Paulo city, followed by the region of Presidente Prudente, located in the countryside of Sao Paulo State. The detection rate in children younger than 15 years old was 4%. CONCLUSION: The campaign results show the importance of the SBD-RESP initiative. It is suggested that similar actions be repeated and extended to other regional offices of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

SBD-RESP na busca ativa de casos de hanseníase / SBD-RESP in active search for leprosy cases

FUNDAMENTOS: A Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia Regional do Estado de São Paulo (SBD-RESP), apoiada pela Fundação Paulista Contra a Hanseníase, e em ação conjunta com os Serviços de Dermatologia do estado de São Paulo, credenciados pela Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia, lançou a campanha "SBD-RESP na Busca Ativa de Casos de Hanseníase". OBJETIVOS: Auxiliar o Programa Nacional de Controle da Hanseníase no controle da doença. MÉTODO: Todos os Serviços de Dermatologia do estado de São Paulo, credenciados pela Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia, foram convidados e os 17 que participaram receberam uma planilha de dados e modelos de materiais informativos sobre a doença. A campanha foi realizada entre os meses de maio e julho de 2010. Ao término do período, cada serviço encaminhou a planilha de dados para análise estatística. RESULTADOS: Foram examinadas 1718 pessoas e diagnosticados, no total, 90 casos de hanseníase, a maioria do gênero masculino e da cor branca, com percentuais semelhantes de multibacilares e de paucibacilares. Doze por cento apresentavam história familiar de hanseníase. O maior número de casos detectados foi na capital, seguido, no interior, pela região de Presidente Prudente. O índice de detecção em menores de 15 anos foi 4 por cento. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados da campanha mostram a importância desta iniciativa da SBD-RESP. Sugere-se que ações semelhantes sejam repetidas e que se estendam a outras regionais da Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia.

BACKGROUND: The Brazilian Society of Dermatology of the State of Sao Paulo (SBD-RESP), supported by the Sao Paulo State Foundation Against Leprosy and acting jointly with Sao Paulo State Services of Dermatology, accredited by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, launched the campaign "SBD-RESP in active search for leprosy cases". OBJECTIVES: To assist the National Leprosy Control Program in eliminating Hansen's disease. METHODS: All of the Sao Paulo State Services of Dermatology, accredited by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, were invited to join the campaign. The 17 Services which accepted to participate received a spreadsheet of data and models of informative materials about the disease. The campaign lasted from May to July 2010. At the end of the campaign, each Service sent the spreadsheet data for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 1,718 people were examined and 90 cases of Hansen's disease were diagnosed. Most of the individuals infected were male and white and presented similar percentages of multibacillary and paucibacillary groups. Twelve percent had a family history of leprosy. The highest number of cases was detected in Sao Paulo city, followed by the region of Presidente Prudente, located in the countryside of Sao Paulo State. The detection rate in children younger than 15 years old was 4 percent. CONCLUSION: The campaign results show the importance of the SBD-RESP initiative. It is suggested that similar actions be repeated and extended to other regional offices of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology.

The impact of the latest classification system of benign vulvar diseases on the management of women with chronic vulvar pruritus.

BACKGROUND: The management of women with chronic benign vulvar dermatoses has been one of the most difficult and challenging aspects of women's healthcare for a long time. AIM: Our aim was to compare the ability to approach the specific diagnosis of nonneoplastic and noninfectious vulva diseases, between the new classification system and the old classification system. METHODS: One hundred women with chronic vulvar pruritus were included in the study. After detailed examination of the vulva, all visible lesions were biopsied, with normal skin included. All specimens was sent for dermatopathology and examined simultaneously under a binocular microscope by two pathologists. Specific diagnosis if possible and histopathological findings were classified according to both the 1987 and 2006 International Society for the Study of Vulvar Diseases (ISSVD) classifications. The ratios that were able to be approached on the specific diagnosis, with the aid the two classification systems, were compared. RESULTS: Specific clinical diagnosis by both pathological and after using clinicopathological correlation was possible in 69 out of 91 patients (75.8%) according to the 1987 ISSVD classification, and in 81 out of 91 patients (89.0%) according to the ISSVD 2006 classification system. The difference in the clinical diagnosis ratios between the two classification systems was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). In a subgroup of women without specific diagnosis at the time of pathological examination, clinical diagnosis was made in 28 out of 50 women (56%) after using the clinicopathological correlation according to the ISSVD 1987 classification, whereas, specific diagnosis was made in 39 out of 49 (79.6%) women after using the clinicopathological correlation according to the ISSVD 2006 classification. The difference was statistically significant in terms of the ratio of the ability to achieve a specific diagnosis (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: ISSVD 2006 classification of nonneoplastic and noninfectious vulvar disease is more useful than the former classification, in terms of approaching the specific diagnosis of vulvar dermatoses.

[Diagnosis of Hansen's disease].

The Leprosy Mailing List (LML) is an e-mailing list open to whoever interested in the field from all over the world. It acts as a forum for exchanging information related to Hansen's disease. It was established in February 2001 in Italy, and the present moderator of the LML is Dr. Salvatore Noto. He and his colleague have recently introduced an atlas for diagnosing Hansen's disease which they brought together information and photos collected through the LML. The atlas is divided into three sections, (1) Introduction, (2) Cardinal signs, and (3) Diagnosis and the clinical spectrum of leprosy, and they are all accompanied with relevant photos. This time, Dr. Noto kindly permitted us to translate the atlas into Japanese to be published in the Japanese Journal of Leprosy and posted in the Japanese Leprosy Association homepage. This article includes the translation and some of the most informative photos. For more information, please refer to the homepage where you will find all photos in the atlas.