Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by
mycobacterium leprae which mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves.
Dr. Ekow Otabil, National Programme Manager of the LEP, disclosed
this at a seminar organised by the Ghana Health Service in Accra.
He explained eradication as the complete cessation of
transmission as a result of the disappearance of the disease causing organism
and elimination, as the reduction of leprosy patients in a community to a level
where the disease ceases to be of public health importance.
However he stated that the country was yet to eradicate the
disease.
Giving the national leprosy statistics, Dr. Otabil said the country recorded a total of 734 cases as at the end of last October. He said out of the number, 610 new cases were detected during the year and explained that a new cases of leprosy is one that has never been previously treated with anti-leprosy drugs.
Dr. Otabil said that
the LEP was currently promoting public awareness about the disease in the
communities besides intensifying case search in areas with high prevalence,
providing multi-drug therapy (MDT) services to all health facilities and
ensuring that all existing and new cases were given appropriate MDT.
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