On Anti-Leprosy Day, the Health Department can claim to have made significant strides in tackling this chronic infection. The Martyrdom Day (January 30) is annually observed as Anti-Leprosy Day to recognise Mahatma Gandhi’s contribution in helping people with infectious diseases.
From a prevalence rate of 47 for every 10,000 population in Coimbatore in 1983, it is now down to just 0.24, which was even lower than the State figure of 0.4 and the country’s prevalence rate of 0.6 per 10,000 population.
S. Palanisamy, Deputy Director of Medical Services (Leprosy), told The Hindu that 1983 is taken as the benchmark as it was the year in which multi-drug therapy was introduced in India upon the recommendations of the World Health Organisation. The Tamil Nadu prevalence rate was 110 in 1983, the same as the national prevalence rate at that period.
The main issue in dealing with leprosy was that it’s a chronic disease, which could surface even several decades after a person gets infected. Leprosy, unlike other bacterial diseases, cannot be grown or cultured artificially and as a result, there is no vaccination.
Further, he said that dealing with the social stigma was also a major hurdle. Patients need to undergo treatment continuously for at least six months to a year. Many default after a slight improvement in health, which resulted in relapse for some patients.
Seeking to dispel certain misconceptions, he said that leprosy was not genetically inherited but transmitted through droplets as it was an airborne disease. It could be treated completely and effectively.
“The government offered all treatment and counselling free of cost at all government health institutions.”
“Surveys are conducted periodically in slums to find out the number of leprosy patients. There are a total of 200 slums in Coimbatore. The next 15-day survey is scheduled to begin shortly at Sundakamuthur.” So far, 101 new leprosy cases had been identified in current financial year, the Deputy Director said.
Camps
For those already cured but left disabled by this disease, Dr. Palanisamy said that the department conducted disability camps to provide various kind of assistance.
This year, footwear were distributed to 350 persons in Coimbatore, a pension of around Rs. 1,000 to 60, bed sheets to 50, and calipers to 20 persons.
Further, reconstructive surgery was performed for 45 persons in Coimbatore.
‘Surveys are conducted periodically in slums to find out the number of leprosy patients’
