Md. Sazedul Islam
Though a national problem, leprosy issue remained neglected for a long time in the country. Due to outbreak of Covid-19, leprosy has reportedly lost its importance more. Bangladesh’s aim to achieve the target of leprosy-free country seemed uncertain due to continued negligence to the issue, though there was a clear-cut directive from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to free the country from leprosy by 2030. National Leprosy Elimination Progarme (NLEP) is now running with inadequate budget, causing disruption in its activities.
Concerned sources said, there was average financial allocation of Tk. between 45 lakh to 50 lakh by the government for anti-leprosy programme every year in the last five years till the current year. But due to outbreak of Corona, anti-leprosy activities by the government remained almost suspended across the country in the last two years.
Rights activists working in leprosy sector, including officials of NLEP, observed that the amount for anti-leprosy programme is inadequate. Leprosy is a national problem, but it is yet to get priority to the concerned policymakers.
Leprosy is one of the oldest diseases in the world. People with leprosy generally suffer multiple forms of discrimination. Leprosy continues to pose serious health and other problems in the country although it is curable and-if diagnosed on time-disabilities resulting from this disease can be prevented.
According to The Leprosy Mission International-Bangladesh (TLMI-B), annually on an average 3500-4000 new leprosy cases are detected in the country in the recent years. About 10 percent of them later turn disabled for their failure to take timely and proper treatment. The disease is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. However, if left untreated, it can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose (nasal mucosa). The nerve damage can result in crippling of hands and feet, paralysis, and blindness.
If steps are taken up to identify leprosy cases in every upazila of the country in early stage, then anti-leprosy drive would go speedily. But due to lack of necessary funds, anti-leprosy activities are being hampered. Early case detection is very important in leprosy eradication programme. If initiative is not taken to detect new cases and bring them under treatment timely, the goal of eradicating leprosy will not be achieved.
Aside from a possible disability, later detection also increases the likelihood of leprosy spreading throughout a community. Multi-drug therapy makes people non-infectious after just two weeks of treatment, and so early detection can reduce the number of cases of leprosy in a region.
For eradicating leprosy, various activities such as training, advocacy, smooth supply of Multi-drug therapy (MDT) drugs, early case detection, monitoring, launching awareness campaign, follow-up, carrying out regular contact survey and skin camp are needed to be done. But these are being hampered mainly due to lack of necessary funds.
Due to lack of regular survey, initial detection of leprosy patients is being hampered, creating problem for checking the spread of leprosy disease.
Adequate money is needed to make Bangladesh leprosy free. Skill development activities of physicians and employees are being hampered because of budget crunch. NGOs are detecting more leprosy cases in their working areas and the affected people are getting the health services offered by the government.
It is important to hold regular contact survey aimed at finding out leprosy affected people in an area. Besides, it is important to pursue follow-up, and hold regular monitoring on the activities of leprosy eradication programme centrally.
The writer is a freelance journalist
