World Leprosy Day is celebrated every year on the last Sunday of January.
This year, on January 29, this day is also being celebrated in Nepal with the slogan ‘Let’s take action from today to end leprosy’.
This International Day is an opportunity to honor people who have experienced leprosy, raise public awareness of the disease and call for an end to leprosy-related stigma and discrimination.
It had been a few months since Sunita (name changed) began to experience numbness in her hands and knees.
Although she initially ignored it as a normal problem, when it started bothering her, she went to the nearest health post.
Even there the disease was not detected and the medicine there did not cure him.
The problem got worse. Also, skin rashes, occasional fever, and joint pain began to appear.
After that, he began running the hospital.
She even reached New Delhi through health post, district hospital, medical college, big hospital of the city.
No matter where he went, the drug that was given to him as a drug problem brought only a temporary improvement.
About 5 years later, a pimple appeared on the cheek of her 7-year-old son.
When going to a medical college in Pokhara to show his son’s rash, a dermatologist told him that both mother and son had the same problem.
He was diagnosed with leprosy and sent to INF Nepal Green Khark Hospital in Pokhara Naya village for further examination and treatment.
Sunita and her son were cured of leprosy only after years of suffering.
This is just one representative incident.
There is little knowledge and many mixed myths about leprosy in our society.
What is more worrying is that there are many examples of people working in the health sector who are not fully aware of its current condition and its possible symptoms in the country, and have not been diagnosed in time even after reaching the hospital.
Therefore, the purpose of this article is to raise awareness about leprosy among the general public as well as health workers.
What is Leprosy?
Leprosy is a less contagious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae. Which mainly affects the skin, nerves and muscles.
In some cases, it may affect the eyes, liver, kidneys and joints and fever may occur.
Like tuberculosis, leprosy can be spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing.
But since the germs of leprosy are much weaker than those of tuberculosis, the disease can be transmitted through prolonged contact (more than 20 hours per week) with a leprosy-infected person.
Therefore, if someone in the family or close neighborhood has this disease, there is a higher chance of passing it on to another member.
After starting the treatment, leprosy does not spread from one person to another.
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Current status of Leprosy in the world
According to 2021 data, 133,781 new cases of leprosy were diagnosed worldwide, most of which were found in India, Brazil and Indonesia (74%, source: World Health Organization).
Even though it has a great impact on the neighboring country of India, the complete elimination of leprosy from Nepal in the near future seems challenging.
Current status of leprosy in Nepal V.No. According to the details of 2078/079, the number of newly infected people in Nepal is 2285 and 2373 people are undergoing treatment.
While declaring that leprosy was ‘eliminated’ from Nepal in 2010, it also created a kind of confusion.
It has also been found that the use of the word ‘nivaran’ is understood by some to mean ‘abolition’ altogether.
Therefore, many people, even some in the health field, are questioning whether this is not a disease that has disappeared.
While statistics show that 2 to 3 thousand new infected people are found every year even after ‘prevention’.
What are the symptoms of Leprosy?
– Yellow, blistered spots appear on the skin
– Nerve (narcotic) swelling
– Painless, non-itchy rashes appear on the skin
– Shaking hands.
– The hands will be thick, not aware of burns.
– Painful, burning, swollen red spots appear on the body.
– Red, painful sores appear on the body along with fever, joint pain.
– Arms are loose and crooked.
– Inability to close eyes completely.
As some of the symptoms mentioned above can be combined with rheumatism and other diseases, there are many examples of delays in its identification and incorrect diagnosis even by health professionals.
This shows that even after the elimination of leprosy in Nepal, there is a wide need for training in leprosy-specific knowledge and skills among health workers.
What happens if Leprosy is not treated?
If detected and treated at an early stage, this disease is completely curable.
However, if there is a delay in the identification or if there is no treatment in time, various complications can occur which can affect the muscles of the hands, knees and eyes, leading to numbness, swelling of the hands and knees, wounds, and even finger fall.
On top of that, there is a risk of transmission from the infected person to other people.
How much does Leprosy treatment cost?
Leprosy is treated free of charge in all government health institutions (from Health Chowki to Veer Hospital) and special hospitals focusing on leprosy
– INF Nepal Green Khark Hospital Pokhara, Anandban Hospital, Lalgarh Leprosy Hospital, Signing Hospital INF Banke, Signing Hospital INF Surkhet.
A leprosy patient does not need to be admitted to a special clinic or hospital for treatment.
You can treat leprosy at home with multi-drug treatment methods.
The duration of treatment is from 6 months to 2 years depending on the condition of the disease.
Treatment of leprosy complications, artificial organ transplantation, reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation services are also available free of charge.
Challenges
Difficulty and delay in diagnosis It has been found that many people do not reach the hospital when they see common cold sores, and even if they go to check it, it leads to complicated situations and the disease is diagnosed late.
Therefore, there is a need for intensive discussion and widespread awareness about this disease.
Stigma
To understand the ‘stigma’ associated with leprosy, let’s go back to the time of the ‘Covid-19’ pandemic.
We remember, there was a time when someone in the neighborhood had a covid-19 infection and did not even walk the path of his house.
And even sitting in a group, I was worried about what others would think.
Yes, we can understand those two experiences as ‘stigma’.
The difference is that the stigma of covid was temporary, while the ‘stigma’ of leprosy has remained the same for centuries.
Therefore, it is necessary for everyone to be aware and take initiative for its end.
Disability
After the hand wound becomes thick, the wounds keep coming, even the burn is not known.
After being affected by intoxication, the fingers become crooked and weak.
It is difficult to work, it is difficult to do skilled work and it is uncomfortable to present in front of others.
We can clearly see/understand that leprosy is maimed in some of the disabled people we see every day especially when the temples, markets are crowded.
Leprosy-related disability/disability is completely preventable if the disease is diagnosed and treated in time.
Complexity Why leprosy is different from other diseases is that it may not get rid of it even if you complete the dose of its medicine.
Even after completing the treatment period, it takes time for the dead germs to be completely removed from the body and its complications may appear later as the body continues to fight with the immune system.
In this sense, leprosy itself is a mystery and a subject of constant study.
Despite the many complications and challenges, it is necessary to strengthen and continue the fight against leprosy.
This victory can be ensured only with the participation of all sides and timely hand-holding, the goal of elimination can be reached through prevention and the dream of a leprosy-free Nepal will come true.
(Dr. Sharma is senior leprosy and dermatology specialist and head of department at INF Nepal Hariokhark Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Pokhara.)
#Health #Leprosy #Care
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