& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Superstition major obstacle to fight leprosy

From Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI. Dec 22: About 80.000 people have been suffering from leprosy in Bangladesh.
Though the disease is now considered to be the least infections and completely curable at all stages with available modern multi-drug therapy, leprosy is still a major health hazard in Bangladesh. This is only for unconsciousness and superstitions of people.
These were observed in an one-day long workshop in Media Action for Elimination of Leprosy in Bangladesh by 2000 AD held at Rajshahi Parjatan Motel conference room on Dec 20.
Organised by the TB and Leprosy Control Services In Bangladesh and sponsored by the Government of Bangladesh and World Health Organisation (WHO), the workshop was addressed by Dr’AKM Ahsan All Project Director of Further Development of TB & Leprosy Control Services as the chief guest. Dr Mukhlesur Rahman. Superintendent of TB Hospital. Rajshahi and Dr Nazib Wadood. President of Rajshahi City Press Club as special guests. Rajshahi Civil Surgeon Dr. Nazrul Islam presided over the inaugural session.
Dr. AKM Ahsan All presented a synopsis of goal, objectives and strategies of National Leprosy Elimination Pro-gramme and Dr Lutfar Rahman Talukder. WHO National Consultant (Leprosy) on "What should the Community know about leprosy and the role of media."
Among others. Dr Jalalud-din. Assistant Direc^r
(Leprosy), Dr Kazi Belayet WHO Consultant (Leprosy). Rajshahi Division, Dr Erwin Cooreman. Field Director, Danien Foundation. Rajshahi and Dr Wasim Hossain. Senior Consultant. TB Clinic. Rajshahi spoke on different aspects of leprosy.
The speakers said leprosy is caused by infection of My-cobecterium Lepral that is spread by droplets of upper respiratory tract during sneezing. Early signs of the disease is manifested by a pale or red skin patch with loss of sensation and sweating or presence of nodules or thickening of skin or thickening of peripheral nerves.
Over 99 per cent of population have natural immunity or resistance against the disease and only 15 per cent leprosy patients are infectious. The disease is not a result of curse nor a hereditary one and 100 per cent cases are curable at all stages. Deformities already caused by the disease at the last stage can also be repaired to a little extent by expensive constructive surgery. Bangladesh has very effective treatment facilities available free of costs at 600 treatment centres including all the 460 government Thana Health complexes. 130 district towns and municipalities and 37 treatment centres in four metropolitan cities and NGO clinics.
Bangladesh is one of 10 countries jointly contributing 90 per cent of the leprosy case load of the globe and with an estimated 80.000 cases. Bangladesh is one among six
most endemic countries for leprosy and his the third highest estimated leprosy case-load in terms of absolute numbers.
Dr AKM Ahsan All Informed that a total of 55,350 cases of leprosy had been registered in the country from January 1993 to Dec 1996 and 34,445 of the total had been could during that period. From 1985 to 1996, a total of 70,063 patients had been declared cured, he said.
To find out the obstacles to elimination programme of leprosy. experts observed that superstitions, unconsciousness and stigma were making the infected people to remain hidden and unidentified. As for example. they said only about 39 per cent of the detected leprosy cases came to take treatment voluntarily.
The National Leprosy Elimination Programme Incepted from 1993 has fixed targets to detect over 85 per cent of the estimated cases to provide multi-during therapy to all 100 per cent registered cases and achieve over 85 per cent cure rate and to reduce deformity rate among newly defected cases to less than 5 per cent from 21.4 per cent by 2000 AD.
The government already trained up medical professionals up to the grass-root level, the workshop was informed and urged he media people to highlight the facts related to leprosy to make the people conscious. fearless and eager to receive treatment voluntarily.
The participants consolidated some suggestions for growing consciousness of the people.