Jacinto Convit worked hard all his life to save thousands of lives. In Venezuela, the doctor carried out various investigations to find a cure for a disease suffered by various people. Thanks to his dedication, he discovered one of the most important discoveries in the treatment of leprosy.
Jacinto Convit and his beginnings for the treatment of leprosy
Convit began his studies at the Central University of Venezuela where he found his passion for medicine. From a young age he was an exemplary student, excelling in various subjects, which is why he caught the attention of Dr. Martín Vegas, one of the pioneers in the study of leprosy, and made him his disciple.
His teacher instilled in him the knowledge of health and took him to the Cabo Blanco Leper Colony so that he could learn more about this disease.
At a time when a person with leprosy suffered from prejudice and social stigma due to their condition, the doctor Jacinto Convit began the care and treatment of his patients with respect and treating them humanely.
In this institution he was able to continue his studies related to the clinical and laboratory aspects of leprosy. In addition, he managed to become the director of the Cabo Blanco Leper Colony since 1943. In this context, he continued to investigate and improve everything he knew about the disease he had treated for years. In this way, he achieved greater recognition abroad.
Jacinto Convit developed various investigations throughout his life to treat leprosy. Photo: Jacinto Convit Foundation
Jacinto Convit and his humanitarian work
The nominee for the Nobel Prize in Medicine had a great dermatological training in Venezuela. After his trip to Brazil, he was able to verify and learn about the state of anti-leprosy services in the country.
In 1946 he was appointed director of the national lepers. Likewise, he was the leader of the Leprosy Division of the MSAS, achieving various achievements in the care of the sick, since he created 20 anti-leprosy services and 171 clinics that served as an example to other countries.
What was the discovery made by Jacinto Convit?
Juan Convit spent several years of his life looking for the correct treatment for people with leprosy, for this reason, he developed various investigations in the immunology of infectious diseases.
His work made it possible to create a vaccination model. The report revealed for the first time that a mixture of Mycobacterium leprae with BCG could trigger total lysis of the causative agent of leprosy. That is, he could isolate the bacillus with the vaccine.
Due to his hard work and dedication, he received in 1987 the Prince of Asturias Award for Scientific and Technical Researchin addition to the recognition in Washington of the award Public Health Hero.
Until the day of his death he continued to work as director of the Collaborating Center for Reference and Research in Histological Detection and Classification of Leprosy for the World Health Organization In Venezuela.
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Who was Jacinto Convit, the Venezuelan scientist who created the leprosy vaccine?