Leprosy removed from the list of top priority

Leprosy removed from the list of top priority
Myanmar State Counsellor shake hands with patients at Leprosy Eradication Conference. (Photo-Myanmar State Counsellor Office)
Myanmar State Counsellor shake hands with patients at Leprosy Eradication Conference. (Photo-Myanmar State Counsellor Office)
Published 15 December 2018

Leprosy has been removed from the list of top priority diseases after the world countries including Myanmar hit the goal of elimination which was defined as a prevalence of less than 1 case per 10,000 populations, according to the Leprosy Eradication Conference.

The ministry is stepping up its plan to share health knowledge. Since 2003, Myanmar reached its leprosy elimination goal, which is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as less than one case in every 10,000 people.

Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of Nippon Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination said: “Basic health staff can collect and send the facts about physical disabilities caused by leprosy in their posting townships and villages, using mobile tablets distributed by the ministry. I would like to suggest that the authority needs to share more health knowledge about leprosy through the media.”

Since 2000, Novartis Medicine Company has been donating Multi Drug Therapy (MDT). It is found that patients don’t get early treatments as patients and their families feel shameful and fearful, according to Ministry of Health and Sports.

About 3,000 new leprosy patients are found every year. Physical impairments (stage-2) caused by leprosy are still found among children. It still shows that the ministry needs to speed up its efforts to eradicate leprosy infections. Myanmar has drafted National Leprosy Control Strategy 2019-2023.