Leprosy on the rise
Mar 27, 2005
OVER 600 new cases of leprosy are reported in the country every year, Dr. Francis Adatu, the national director of TB and leprosy programme, has said.
By Fred Ouma
OVER 600 new cases of leprosy are reported in the country every year, Dr. Francis Adatu, the national director of TB and leprosy programme, has said.
Districts bordering Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kasese, Kitgum and Pader have been identified as particularly at higher risk.
Other districts with rising rates include Soroti and Kampala. In Mulago Hospital, at least one case of leprosy is reported every week.
“We can’t wait,†Adatu told reporters at a medical workshop in Kampala last week.
“For a long time leprosy has been contained but now it’s a national concern as the prevalence in areas bordering Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo are on the rise,†he said.
He, however, said leprosy was not very contagious. Approximately 95% of people have natural immunity to the disease.
“People with leprosy who are on treatment do not need to be isolated from society,†he said.
Historically, people with leprosy were sent to “lepers’ colonies†on remote islands or in special hospitals.
Adatu said leprosy was caused by a bacterium (mycobacterium leprae) and was curable. The World Health Organisation recommends the use of three antibiotics: dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine for treatment, which takes six months to a year or more. In Uganda, leprosy treatment is free.
The earliest sign of leprosy is commonly a spot on the skin that may be slightly redder, darker, or lighter than the person’s normal skin.
Adatu said the spot may lose feeling or hair. In some people the only sign is numbness in a finger or toe.
He said if left untreated, leprosy has serious effects on the body, including hands and feet and could cause them to become numb. A person may get cuts or burns on the numb part and not know it, leading to infections, which cause permanent damage.
Fingers and toes may be lost to the infection. Serious infections in the feet may require amputation. Paralysis may cause the fingers and toes to curl up permanently.
Leprosy attacks the nerves around the eyes, causing the loss of blinking reflex (which protects the eye from injury and moistens the surface).
The eyes become dry and infected, and blindness may result. Because of numbness of the eye, the person cannot feel dirt or scratches in the eye.
Damage to the internal lining of the nose causes scarring and eventual collapse of the nose.
Ends
OVER 600 new cases of leprosy are reported in the country every year, Dr. Francis Adatu, the national director of TB and leprosy programme, has said.
Districts bordering Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kasese, Kitgum and Pader have been identified as particularly at higher risk.
Other districts with rising rates include Soroti and Kampala. In Mulago Hospital, at least one case of leprosy is reported every week.
“We can’t wait,†Adatu told reporters at a medical workshop in Kampala last week.
“For a long time leprosy has been contained but now it’s a national concern as the prevalence in areas bordering Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo are on the rise,†he said.
He, however, said leprosy was not very contagious. Approximately 95% of people have natural immunity to the disease.
“People with leprosy who are on treatment do not need to be isolated from society,†he said.
Historically, people with leprosy were sent to “lepers’ colonies†on remote islands or in special hospitals.
Adatu said leprosy was caused by a bacterium (mycobacterium leprae) and was curable. The World Health Organisation recommends the use of three antibiotics: dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine for treatment, which takes six months to a year or more. In Uganda, leprosy treatment is free.
The earliest sign of leprosy is commonly a spot on the skin that may be slightly redder, darker, or lighter than the person’s normal skin.
Adatu said the spot may lose feeling or hair. In some people the only sign is numbness in a finger or toe.
He said if left untreated, leprosy has serious effects on the body, including hands and feet and could cause them to become numb. A person may get cuts or burns on the numb part and not know it, leading to infections, which cause permanent damage.
Fingers and toes may be lost to the infection. Serious infections in the feet may require amputation. Paralysis may cause the fingers and toes to curl up permanently.
Leprosy attacks the nerves around the eyes, causing the loss of blinking reflex (which protects the eye from injury and moistens the surface).
The eyes become dry and infected, and blindness may result. Because of numbness of the eye, the person cannot feel dirt or scratches in the eye.
Damage to the internal lining of the nose causes scarring and eventual collapse of the nose.
Ends