Ghana makes progress in the fight against leprosy

Kuntanase (Ash), July 27, GNA – Ghana is making significant headway in the fight to eradicate leprosy, Dr Ekow Amankrah-Otabir of the Ankaful Leprosy/General Hospital, has said.

He said the improvement and sustenance of the treatment of the disease by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) was paying off.

“Leprosy is now moving from elimination to the eradication stage”, he added.

Dr Amankrah-Otabil was addressing a day's “case search training” workshop on the disease for selected front line health professionals from various health facilities in the Bosomtwe District at Kuntanase.

The goal was to assist them to better manage the disease and to help prevent any wrong diagnosis.

Leprosy is a chronic mildly infectious disease, caused by mycobacterium that affects the skin and the peripheral nerves.

Dr Amankrah-Otabil said the disease normally starts as a harmless skin lesion and urged the public report any skin disease to the nearest health facility.

He counseled against stigmatization of leprosy patients.

Dr Amankrah-Otabil noted that 95 per cent of the people have natural immunity against the disease and asked relatives of affected persons to accept but not to reject them.

He repeated that its treatment was free and encouraged all those who suspected they have the disease to report to the health facilities for early treatment.

GNA