Leprosy: a disease "forgotten", but not gone
- Written by Lourdes Pichs Rodríguez
- Published in Health
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Since 1954, the last Sunday of January is celebrated the World Day against leprosy, a disease "forgotten", but not gone, with a case report in about 100 countries each year.
Holguín will mark the date on Sunday 26 with various community activities, aimed at insisting on the need for an early diagnosis, because its early detection enables the cure of the patient, interrupts the transmission and prevents disabilities.
Dr. Dionisia María Infante Gómez, responsible for the Leprosy Program in the head municipality, explained that “almost more than two decades ago the country eliminated this disease as a health problem, by reducing the prevalence rate to less than one per 10 thousand inhabitants, according to the WHO criteria, but new cases are diagnosed every year”.
She insisted that this condition is curable and once treated ceases to be contagious, hence the Cuban health system works in compliance with the 2016-2020 Leprosy global strategy, through which it is planned to consolidate a group of objectives, including reporting a rate of less than one case per million inhabitants in patients newly diagnosed with leprosy, who have visible deformities.
The specialist in Hygiene and Epidemiology recognized that our country, due to the accessibility to health, its free of charge medical services and the high level of education of its citizens, is able to early diagnose a new case, reduce transmission after the treatment to the sick person, monitor its contacts and to long term eliminate the disease.
However, she explained: “When the disease is not diagnosed and treated, it can cause progressive and permanent lesions on the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes to people of any age and sex, with consequent disabilities.
“The most important thing is to ask for assistance when there are on the skin pale pink or brown patches, with symptoms of sensitivity disorders. It also manifests with raised edge lesions or nodules that protrude anywhere of the body, mainly in the face and ears. Some patients face nasal obstruction and bleed through the nose,” she said.
Leprosy is caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae, discovered in 1873 and is transmitted by nasal droplets when there is close and frequent contact with untreated patients.
That "forgotten" disease has been afecting humanity for about 4 thousand years and although it does not cause death itself, it causes a significant reduction in the patient's immune defenses. Since 1987 it has a cure.
