Staff Reporter
LAST year, the country reported 22 leprosy cases before September, with the majority of these cases documented in the North-east.
This information was disclosed by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, who revealed that of the 22 cases documented last year, seven were in the Zambezi Region, 11 in the Kavango regions, three in the Oshana Region, and one in the Omusati Region.
The minister shared these details during the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 World Leprosy Day, commemorated in Katima Mulilo in the Zambezi Region. World Leprosy Day is an annual event observed on the last Sunday of January, and this year’s theme was “Beat Leprosy.”
“This theme encapsulates the dual objectives of the day: to eradicate the stigma associated with leprosy and to promote the dignity of people affected by the disease. The theme of “Beat Leprosy” serves as a powerful reminder of the need to address the social and psychological aspects of leprosy, alongside the medical efforts to eliminate the disease,” Shangula said.
Additionally, the minister highlighted that early detection of leprosy is underway in regions such as Kavango East, Kavango West, Zambezi, Khomas, and Oshana.
“This implies that people affected with leprosy and who have been given treatment right away will have less chance of developing deformities,” he said.
Shangula assured that his ministry is dedicated to maintaining a high treatment success rate for leprosy to prevent re-infection or community transmission. For this purpose, he said, the ministry developed tools to ensure periodic reassessment of leprosy patients and their families, alongside a National Guideline for the Management of Leprosy. A budget has been allocated for the training of health workers, aligning with the latest WHO Guidelines for the Management of Leprosy.
“Moreover, we produced a National Guideline for the Management of Leprosy and a budget has been allocated for training of health workers in this regard. This National Guideline is also well aligned to the latest WHO Guidelines for the Management of Leprosy. During the current financial year, regions have been training their own health workers in the prevention and management of leprosy, which we are confident will enhance early detection and management of leprosy,” the health minister said.
He also disclosed that the Ministry reactivated the Leprosy Program in 2008, and leprosy has been included in the Midterm Strategic Plan for TB
“We developed strategies on how to fight leprosy, and the National TB and Leprosy programme is busy finalizing the third Midterm Strategic Plan, of which Leprosy remains a priority,” Shangula added.
Shangula further revealed that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Leprosy Mission International are committed to assisting Namibia in its fight against leprosy.
“WHO continues to provide Namibia not only with technical support but also with access to Multi-Drug Therapies (MDTs) for the effective treatment of Leprosy. The Leprosy Mission International has also been providing technical support to train our health workers in the early detection and management of leprosy,” the health minister said.
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