Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae that primarily affects the skin, peripheral nerves, eyes, and the upper respiratory tract resulting in skin lesions, neuropathy, deformities and disabilities.
The infection is said to spread through droplet infection. The disease develops gradually and can ultimately cause significant disability such as inability to use hands and feet if not diagnosed and treated on time.
Leprosy is a curable disease with effective treatment. Currently, the recommended treatment for the disease is 6 months of multidrug therapy (MDT) for paucibacillary and 12 months of multidrug therapy for the multibacillary variant.
Leprosy is a public health problem. It was eliminated globally in 2000 and India though declared itself free from leprosy in 2005, new cases continue to occur. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 2 lakh new leprosy cases were detected globally in 2016. India today accounts for more than half of all leprosy patients in the world.
Though the incidence of the disease has declined manifold, it is still happening with India contributing more than half of the global leprosy burden. According to official figures from 159 countries from the 6 WHO Regions, there were 2,08,619 new leprosy cases registered globally in 2018.
To fight leprosy, everyone should be aware of its symptoms and should visit a specialist as soon as any symptom is noticed. It is also important for all the patients to be mindful of the nature and course of the disease as adherence to the treatment is a must to cure the disease.
Treatment of leprosy is long, and few patients sometimes develop certain side effects after starting treatment. Proper counseling regarding the treatment and adherence to treatment, therefore, has to be ensured to get the desired result.
This is not all. Government and non-government sectors should work hand-in-hand to provide the necessary support for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease. They should also focus on stopping stigma & discrimination to mainstream those affected by leprosy & their families.
Disclaimer
Disclosure:This is a sponsored article. But all information provided is written and owned solely by the author.
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