Africa-Press – Lesotho. According to the Director of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Department in the Ministry of Health Dr. Llang Maama, Lesotho is in a good position to see off leprosy as the number of new infections hasn’t surpassed 5 annually in recent years.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, Lesotho is in the elimination stage of the disease, which is otherwise known as Hansen’s disease.
A country is said to be in this particular stage when official statistics of patients or new infections from such country are recorded as below 10 per year.
She referred to this as a sign of success in the Lesotho’s health system considering the battle against leprosy for a notable number of years with the support of WHO and other leprosy focused international organizations.
This year, only one patient was discovered in Qabane, Mohale’s Hoek which is in the forefront with new leprosy infections amongst 10 other districts. This marked a decrease of three leprosy patients compared to last year’s four.
However Maama said the ministry is never resting on its laurels as it continues to raise awareness and impart education regarding this disease through outreaches and media campaigns.
As part of this years’ World Leprosy day observation activities on Sunday 27th January, she said the ministry had and continued to run media campaigns and outreaches to sensitize people on the pandemic.
The most recent outreach was last week in Mohale’s Hoek. World Leprosy Day is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of January. The day was chosen in commemoration of the death of Gandhi, the leader of India who understood the importance of leprosy.
Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded diseases in the world. It is an infectious chronic disease that targets the nervous system, especially the nerves in the cooler parts of the body – the hands, feet, and face.
It is caused by a bacterium infection – Mycobacterium leprae. It mainly affects the skin, eyes, nose and other peripheral nerves. Symptoms include light-colored or red skin patches with reduced sensation, numbness and weakness in hands and feet.
Leprosy can be cured within 6-12 months of multi-drug therapy. While it is bound to cause changes within the body’s functioning mechanisms, early treatment curbs disability.
