W.H.O EXTENDS FREE TREATMENT TO 2015, AS NIGERIA MARKS WORLD LEPROSY DAY.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that it will continue to provide Drugs for free treatment of Leprosy till the year 2015.
W.H.O Country Representative, Dr. Peter Eriki, made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria at a media briefing organized by the Federal Ministry of Health to mark the 2010 World Leprosy Day in the country.
According to Eriki, the aim of W.H.O was to reduce Leprosy cases to the barest minimum, if not eradicate the disease totally.
Also speaking at the media briefing, Nigerian Health Minister, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin said that the Federal Government established the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme in 1989, which also introduced Multi- Drugs Therapy (MDT) for the treatment of Leprosy in the same year. This according to him has led to the decline in the number of registered cases.
The Minister further said that Government would remain committed to the provision of universal access to care including clinical services for diagnosis and management of complications in secondary and tertiary health institutions.
He stressed that Government would support and promote community –based rehabilitation efforts with special attention to activities and programs aimed at reducing stigmatization and discrimination against persons infected with leprosy and their families.
The National Coordinator, Tuberculoses and Leprosy Control Programme, Dr. Kabir Mansur, who represented the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, said that the rationale behind the celebration was to raise awareness on leprosy and to reduce the stigmatization associated with the disease, stressing that the disease is curable and treatment is available and free.
The theme of this year celebration is “Fighting for a Just Cause; Stigmatization and Discrimination Have No Place.”
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