‘Kano Records 400 New Leprosy Cases Annually’

The Coordinator of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control in Kano State, Dr Tijani Hussain, said  last Wednesday that over 400 fresh leprosy cases were registered in the state annually.

Hussain who disclosed this  in Kano in an interview said  that before 1988, the state registered at least 24,000 cases annually.

He said since 1988 when a treatment regimen called Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) treatment was introduced, the number of cases reduced drastically. “Now, we register over 400 fresh leprosy cases,” he said.

The coordinator said in 2011, 350 new leprosy cases were registered in the state.

He said that there were currently 46 clinics from which patients could access free treatment, including free medicines, adding that  “people only regard those victims in the street begging as leprosy cases.

“But for us as clinicians, leprosy is anybody who has a skin patch that is lighter than the surrounding area and when such area is touched, such person doesn‘t feel it. “Most people you see on the street are not leprosy cases; they can‘t transmit the disease but it is the people you don‘t see that transmit the disease.’’ Hussain stated.

The coordinator advised those who noticed patches that were insensitive to touch on their skins to report to the hospital for checks to get early treatment.

He said it was only through early diagnosis and treatment that all forms of disabilities manifesting in leprosy could be controlled to avoid its spread.