Africa-Press – Angola. More than 600 people with leprosy have been receiving care at the leprosarium of the Dondi Mission, belonging to the Evangelical Church, in the municipality of Cachiungo, province of Huambo.
The supervisor of the program to fight leprosy in Huambo province, Florinda Augusta Caluela, says that many patients come from other parts of the country.
He pointed out that, in the province of Huambo, the municipalities of Bailundo, Caála, Cachiungo, Huambo, Londuimbali, Mungo and Ecuma are the ones with the most cases of people with leprosy, with adults being the most affected, which has caused the contagion in children. , who live close to them.
“The leprosarium in Cachiungo not only receives patients from Huambo, but also from various parts of the country. The situation of people who come from other locations has become difficult, because after receiving complete treatment, they end up in the leprosarium”, he underlined.
She explained that the greatest fear of these people in returning to their areas of origin has to do with discrimination, an attitude that Florinda Caluela considers “demotivating” to the patient’s self-esteem, with negative consequences for their social reintegration.
“People with leprosy who come from other parts of the country often end up abandoned by their families. Leprosy is curable, so we should not discriminate against anyone. The person undergoing the treatment, despite being a long treatment, needs our support, so that, after being cured, they can be integrated into society,” she said.
Leprosy can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing or nasal secretions, causing the appearance of spots on the skin. The doctor warned that, in the face of a situation of this nature, the affected person should immediately be referred to the nearest health unit. “If detected early, it is possible to cut the transmission circle.”
The leprosarium, which has three technicians, is currently undergoing rehabilitation, but, for financial reasons, the works have been at a standstill for months.
In Huambo, in 2020/2021, more than a thousand cases of the disease were registered, against 95 in 2019. In 2020, 23 patients were treated, while a group of 17 people abandoned treatment.
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