Leprosy still prevalent in north, west

Although this elimination status was attained, we still continue to get new leprosy patients across all age groups,” said the minister while presiding over the commemoration of the world leprosy day in Luuka District.

Leprosy, a chronic bacterial disease that affects mainly the skin, is still prevalent in south-eastern, north and north-western districts of Uganda, Health Minister Christine Ondoa has said.

She said while the rest of the regions of Uganda have achieved the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) national elimination status of one leprosy case per 10,000 people, the three regions have failed to achieve this.
“It is for this reason therefore, that we should launch a nation-wide campaign against leprosy and have it eliminated from Uganda.

Although this elimination status was attained, we still continue to get new leprosy patients across all age groups,” said the minister while presiding over the commemoration of the world leprosy day in Luuka District.

According to the programme officer in-charge of National Tuberculosis and Leprosy at the Ministry of Health, Dr Frank Mugabi, at least 400 new cases of the disease are registered annually although little attention is paid at health centre levels in terms of diagnosis.

While the disease does not kill, Dr Ondoa said it imposes itself on the affected people making them look deformed. This poses a heavy social economic burden for those affected, their families and the country as well.

Dr Ondoa also called upon all health training institutions to include leprosy in their training curriculum to create awareness as early as diagnosis and treatment.

aayebazibwe@ug.nationmedia.com