Dr Yakubu Abdullahi, Coordinator, Bauchi State Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Centre says the centre records 490 cases of leprosy yearly.
Abdullahi said in Bauchi that the figure represents 0.4 per cent of the population of the state of 4.9 million, with children constituting five percent of cases.
Abdullahi further explained that the state had since 1999, achieved the WHO target of leprosy elimination of less than one leprosy case per 10,000 persons.
According to him, the state has more than 150 leprosy treatment centres offering free treatment to patients.
He said that disabilities resulting from leprosy had increased to11 per cent as against the five per cent recorded in previous years, due to late reporting of cases.
He said that the disease is? curable once patients take their medication regularly within the period of six months to one year.
“Leprosy strikes all age groups as it has been diagnosed in infants as well as in adults over 70 years of age while male to female ratio of 1:1 in Africa and 2:1 in India has been recorded.”
Abdullahi urged against discrimination especially by family members.
The coordinator described leprosy as contagious but said that an estimated population of 95 per cent have natural resistance to leprosy.
“It is also a communicable disease which can be transmitted by droplets either through coughing or sneezing.”
“Leprosy is one of the chronic diseases caused by bacteria which progresses very slowly and mainly affects the skin, peripheral nerve and mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract,” he explained.
The coordinator appealed to people with skin patches, eye lashes, hand and feet weakness to go for examination.
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