Bhubaneswar: Despite Odisha declaring itself leprosy free, identification of fresh cases largely among children during Covid crisis is now been seen as a worrying trend with health experts calling for increased awareness and treatment to nip in the bud.
As someone who has closely worked on leprosy programs in Odisha, the National Program Manager of Fairmed India Bijoy Kumar Swain said, “Lack of awareness and discrimination has spurred leprosy cases in Odisha. This makes detection and treatment of the disease even more challenging. The misconceptions associated with leprosy transmission and treatment often adds to the already high disability burden. The Covid-19 pandemic further exacerbated the situation. Guidelines with respect to isolation, social distancing and initial restrictions on movement created challenges for patients in accessing healthcare services, and limited active surveillance contributed to lesser number of cases being detected.”
It can be mentioned that in leprosy, the bacteria are transmitted through little droplets from the noses and mouths of infected persons.
If left untreated, it affects the nerves and muscles in the hands and feet of the patient, eventually leading to the extreme deformities and permanent disability that have become stigmatising symbols associated with leprosy.
If detected on time, majority of the cases can be cured between 6 to 12 months.
The multi-drug-therapy (MDT) donated to World Health Organization (WHO) and provided free of cost by the government has successfully treated 16 million leprosy patients since its introduction.
While the disease has all but disappeared from most parts of the world, newer cases continue to resurface in different parts of India.
Reports suggest that India accounts for over half (almost 60 per cent) of the world’s new leprosy cases despite the south Asian country declaring to have eliminated leprosy as a public health problem in 2005.
Commenting on the rise of cases in Odisha, an official from the state government said, “We have designated one trained personnel at each block level who is supporting the health workers for leprosy related activities in his respective area. Moreover, Odisha is utilising its government district hospitals for leprosy surgeries, unlike most of the other states where majority of the surgeries happen at private hospitals,” the official said.
PNN