Urgently address gaps in leprosy services and accelerate efforts towards zero leprosy infection and disease: WHO
- January 30, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Urgently address gaps in leprosy services and accelerate efforts towards zero leprosy infection and disease: WHO
Subject : Science and Technology
Section: Health
Details:
The World Health Organization today called on countries in the South-East Asia Region and globally to urgently address gaps in leprosy services disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to accelerate efforts towards zero leprosy infection and disease, zero leprosy disability, and zero leprosy stigma and discrimination -the vision of the WHO Global Leprosy Strategy 2021-2030. Leprosy is 100 percent curable when detected early, yet today in addition to COVID-19 related challenges, stigma and discrimination- both institutionalized and informal, continue to impede prompt diagnosis and treatment and facilitate onward spread.
In 2021, 140 000 new leprosy cases were reported, with 95 percent of new cases coming from the 23 global priority countries. Of these, 6% were diagnosed with visible deformities or grade-2 disabilities (G2D). Over 6% of new cases were children under the age of 15, with 368 being diagnosed with grade-2 disabilities.
Despite a 10% increase in new case reporting from 2020 to 2021, reported cases were 30% lower in 2021 than in 2019. This is not due to a decrease in transmission, but cases remaining undetected due to COVID-19-related disruptions.
Act Now. End Leprosy is this year’s theme for World Leprosy Day.
Leprosy:
- Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s Disease.
- It is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium Leprae. It is a disease that leaves a terrifying image in its wake of mutilation, rejection, and exclusion from society.
- Genetic evidence supports the existence of Leprosy infections in hundred-thousand-year-old remains.
- Symptoms: Red patches on the skin, skin lesion, and numbness in arms, hands, and legs, ulcers on the soles of feet, muscle Weakness and excessive weight loss.
- It usually takes about 3-5 years for symptoms to appear after coming into contact with Leprosy causing bacteria. The long incubation period makes it difficult for doctors to determine when and where the person got infected.
- Infected areas: Skin, Peripheral nerves, Upper respiratory tract and Lining of the nose.
- It is transmitted mainly by breathing airborne droplets from the affected individuals. It can be contacted at any age.
- If not treated on time, Leprosy can lead to significant disability, disfigurement, permanent nerve damage in arms and legs and even loss of sensation in the body.
- Leprosy is curable with the combination of drugs known as Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT).
Steps Taken to Eliminate Leprosy:
- World Health Organisation’s Global Leprosy Strategy (2016).
- National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP) was launched by the Govt. of India in 1954- 55.
- Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) came into wide use from 1982, and the National Leprosy Eradication Programme was introduced in 1983.
- India achieved the goal set by the National Health Policy, 2002 of elimination of leprosy as a public health problem, defined as less than 1 case per 10,000 population, at the National level in December 2005.
- In 2016, the draconian colonial era’s Lepers Act was repealed.
- In 2017, the SPARSH Leprosy Awareness Campaign was launched to promote awareness and address the issues of stigma and discrimination.
- In 2019, Lok Sabha passed a Bill seeking to remove Leprosy as a ground for divorce.