EBONYI STATE CELEBRATES MINIMAL LEPROSY CASES SAYS Dr. Daniel Umezuruike

leprocy2Ebonyi State government says prevalence rate of leprosy disease has fallen in the last 10 years by 0.9% per 10,000 population in the state.

Briefing newsmen on the significance of this year’s World Leprosy Day marked last Sunday, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezuruike attributed the feat to effective collaboration between the state government and foreign health partners.

Dr. Umezuruike explained that the State government achieved 100% geographical coverage for leprosy services, which accounted for the registration of 543 cases within the last one year.

“What we even advocate is for people to come out. But we have been doing a lot. Every year the state makes efforts to build at least 6 buildings to rehabilitate these patients in their various homes and we try to train them in the job, which they can adapt to because most of them because of social stigma and discrimination, some of them lose their jobs.”

Dr Umezuike said despite the achievements, Leprosy Control Programme in the state was facing some challenges including high social stigma and inability to provide economic rehabilitation to over 2,000 (two thousand) ex Leprosy patients with various disabilities.

The theme of this year’s event is Zero Disability in Children Affected by Leprosy.

AMECHI ODO

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