Prayagraj: District health authorities on Thursday launched a 14-day leprosy screening campaign to identify leprosy patients in all 21 blocks and urban areas.
In the campaign launched under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme, a total of 6,175 teams have been formed to identify leprosy patients in villages, blocks, semi urban and urban areas between December 21 and January 4, 2024.Every team has two members, including an ASHA member and a male health worker, who would be visiting every home. “The team will identify leprosy patients based on symptoms. The identified patient will be referred to concerned primary/ community health centres or hospital for treatment,” a senior health official said.
The official added the teams would also bust misconceptions prevalent in society that leprosy is the result of genetic causes, immoral conduct and sins of previous birth. “The disease is caused by mycobacterium leprae which mainly affects the upper membrane of human skin, nervous system, eyes and some other parts of the body. Its initial symptoms are light or copper-coloured rashes on the patient’s body in which there is numbness. Hot or cold is not felt in the affected area,” the official said. The official added that leprosy can be completely cured when it is treated with multi drug therapy (MDT). Once leprosy is confirmed, treatment will be started from block level hospitals as per government provisions, the official said and added that the treatment is also available at all health centres. TNN
In the campaign launched under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme, a total of 6,175 teams have been formed to identify leprosy patients in villages, blocks, semi urban and urban areas between December 21 and January 4, 2024.Every team has two members, including an ASHA member and a male health worker, who would be visiting every home. “The team will identify leprosy patients based on symptoms. The identified patient will be referred to concerned primary/ community health centres or hospital for treatment,” a senior health official said.
The official added the teams would also bust misconceptions prevalent in society that leprosy is the result of genetic causes, immoral conduct and sins of previous birth. “The disease is caused by mycobacterium leprae which mainly affects the upper membrane of human skin, nervous system, eyes and some other parts of the body. Its initial symptoms are light or copper-coloured rashes on the patient’s body in which there is numbness. Hot or cold is not felt in the affected area,” the official said. The official added that leprosy can be completely cured when it is treated with multi drug therapy (MDT). Once leprosy is confirmed, treatment will be started from block level hospitals as per government provisions, the official said and added that the treatment is also available at all health centres. TNN