No fewer than 20 new cases of leprosy have been recorded in Kogi State after an earlier claim that the state was free of the disease.
Briefing journalists in Lokoja yesterday at the COVID-19 response palliatives distribution for communities of persons affected by leprosy and disabilities in the State, the State Programme officer, Leprosy Mission Nigeria (LMN) Mrs Hannah Fashona explained that the new cases were recorded between January and November 2020.
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Fashona, who said the organization was determined to ensure that Nigeria is free from the disease, added that the state referrer center located in Ochadamu in the eastern flank of the State had succeeded in treating some patients affected with the disease.
According to her, it is on record that due to fear and lack of knowledge, over 3 million people across the world are living with undiagnosed leprosy while causing more damage to their health.
The LMN programme officer added that more than 600 people were diagnosed of leprosy in the world daily, saying that over 50 percent of those hard hit were the children.
This alarming rate, she pointed out, had prompted the Mission to embark on daily research to achieve zero leprosy in the world.
She however faulted the claim by the Federal Government that Nigeria had attained zero elimination campaign of leprosy in the country.
“The Federal Ministry of Health recently said they have recorded zero elimination campaign of leprosy, whereas, day in day out, we record new cases of which children are largely involved,” she added.
According to her, some of these patients don’t come when it is early, but come only when it is either grade one or grade two disabilities, a situation that may be difficult to attend to.
“They must have gone round the whole herbalists miles around before coming to our referrer centre in Ochadamu for them to get solution. The Federal Government has to come in to achieve that zero elimination campaign and should not be by lip service,” the health officer added.
