Q: What is leprosy?
A: Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes.
Q: Is leprosy hereditary?
A: No, Leprosy is not hereditary.
Q: How is leprosy transmitted?
A: Leprosy is transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and frequent contact with untreated cases.
Q: Is leprosy very infectious?
A: Leprosy is one of the least infectious diseases. More than 85% of cases of leprosy are non-infectious and therefore do not spread the disease. Moreover, a majority (95%) of people have a natural immunity to the disease.
Q: Is leprosy curable?
A: Leprosy is curable. Treatment in the early stages can prevent disability. A highly effective treatment in the form of multi-drug therapy (MDT) is administered over a 6 to 12 month period.
Q: What are the symptoms of leprosy?
A: Clinical signs are easy to observe. Skin lesion has usually a different pigmentation than the surrounding normal skin (less pigmented, reddish or copper-coloured) and may have various aspects (flat, raised or nodules). The skin lesion can be single or multiple and have a definite loss of sensation.
Q: Where is the treatment available?
A: Treatment of leprosy is available across all government health facilities.
Q: Is the treatment expensive?
A: MDT is available free of cost at the government health centres. The MDT is available through WHO and has been donated by The Nippon Foundation in the past (1995-2000) and by Novartis (since 2000).
Q: Does leprosy lead to physical disability?
A: Early treatment helps to prevent disability. A small proportion of cases may develop physical disability, if not treated early.
Q: Is there any reason to isolate people with leprosy?
A: Patients can be rendered non-infectious with the very first dose of MDT. Therefore, they can continue their normal routine of life and should not be isolated. Continued discrimination has deterred people from coming forward for diagnosis and treatment – thus encouraging cases to remain hidden and indirectly contributing to transmission. Combating stigma and achieving early diagnosis through active, early case-finding are critical to interrupting transmission.
Q: What can be done to eliminate stigma against people affected by leprosy?
A: We at S-ILF follow four EASY principles to fight stigma:
End Discrimination- focus on abilities of affected individuals rather than disabilities
Acknowledge Persons affected by leprosy as equal members of society
Spread the word- “Leprosy is curable”
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