About Leprosy
'Ukoma hutibika' is Swahili for 'Leprosy is curable'.
And this is the all-important message the Outreach team want to spread throughout the Rufiji Region.
Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae. The infection affects the skin and nerves and, if left untreated, complications can cause loss of sensation in the hands and feet, facial deformities and loss of sight. In the past people affected by the disease and who were not treated, were left severely disabled. This came about because the lack of feeling led them to ignore small cuts and wounds, which then became infected. Eventually, gangrene developed and an entire limb could be lost.
There are currently around 25 patients in the village of Kindwitwi who are unable to care for themselves because of leprosy-related disabilities. This degree of disability is now rare. But, unless people are made aware that the disease is curable, some will still leave things too late, afraid of the stigma that is attached to leprosy; they hide away at the first signs of the disease (such as a pale patch of skin) and may even leave their families and communities. Several of the residents of Kindwitwi are treated leprosy patients who came to live there initially so that they could escape the prejudice against leprosy in their own villages.
Fortunately, leprosy damage like this is rarely encountered these days - thanks to early diagnosis by people such as our trained Kindwitwi nurses and treatment by multi-drug therapy.
Leprosy is not easy to catch and you have to live for several years in a country where it is endemic to be at risk of getting the disease. In some people it may lie dormant in the body for over ten years before any sign starts to appear, which is why it is important for the outreach team to continue to educate people about the signs and symptoms of the disease, so that diagnosis can be made early and treatment with multi drug therapy (MDT) started.
Having said that, three facts about the prevalence of leprosy in the Rufiji area highlight the work still to be done:
1. About 1% of all new cases of leprosy in the world occur in Tanzania.
2. As recently as 2005, 104 new cases of leprosy were detected in Rufiji.
3. Unfortunately, some of these had permanent disabilities from the disease, showing that it had been present for several years before being detected.
More information on leprosy can be found at the following sites:-
The International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations www.ilep.org.uk
The World Health Organisation www.who.int/lep/en/