Kamrup (Metro) district has seen a continuous rise in the number of leprosy cases over the past three years.
Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. The disease primarily affects the skin, nerves and mucous membrane. The disease is curable but needs timely treatment to avoid the chances of disability among patients.
There are two primary forms in which the disease is classified; these include paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) leprosy. The disease is classified on the basis of the number of skin patches on the patient.
As per the data available with the state health & family welfare department officials, a total of 60 cases were registered for the disease in 2016.
“Out of these, 49 cases were recorded for multibacillary leprosy while 11 paucibacillary cases were registered. Further, 63 cases in total were reported from the district during the next year,” Nodal officer (Leprosy) Kamrup (Metro) district, Dr Farhan Ali, told G Plus.
However, in 2018, the number of registered cases saw a steep increase from 63 leprosy cases in 2017, to 110 cases in 2018 which consisted of 93 multibacillary cases and 17 paucibacillary cases.
On the other hand, the situation at the grassroots level paints a worse picture, feel activists working in the health sector in the city. They say that the number of registered cases is just the tip of the iceberg as many leprosy-affected people do not come forward to get themselves diagnosed due to the fear of social boycott by members of their community.
According to a 2016 report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), there were a total of 1,27,326 new cases of leprosy detected in 2015 which accounted for 60 per cent of the total global new cases. In comparison, 1,25,785 new cases were reported in 2014.
Even though India had announced the elimination of the disease as a public health concern in 2005, new cases were again reported over the past few years with thousands of new cases being recorded every year.
At the national level too, Assam lags behind in effectively curbing the disease. According to reports, Assam records one of the highest numbers of multibacillary leprosy patients in India.
Guwahati lacks govt infrastructure for reconstructive surgery
Some leprosy patients also need to undergo reconstructive surgery which is provided to patients who suffer from disabilities due to the nerve damage caused by the disease. Further, treatment for leprosy is provided for free as per the government directives.
However, currently there are no government hospitals in Guwahati for patients who are looking to get the reconstruction surgery done.
“Till last year, we had the surgery available in Gauhati Medical College & Hospital. Now we are arranging the surgery in district hospital, Sonapur in Kamrup (Metro),” informed nodal officer (Leprosy) Kamrup (Metro) district, Dr Farhan Ali.
He added that they had written to the health department to begin the reconstruction surgery in the district hospital Sonapur earlier this year. However, the facility could not be started due to some infrastructural issues related to the operation theatre in the hospital.
“We are hoping to start the surgery in the near future this year at the district hospital in Sonapur,” Dr Ali further said.
As far is the treatment is concerned, the officials say that there is a multi-drug therapy administered for leprosy.
Doctors say that the disease is confined to humans and is a droplet infection. Further, leprosy is more prevalent among people who live in unhygienic conditions and places with high concentration of population. It is thus, more common in slum areas.
Fewer cases detected due to attached stigma
Banashree Huzuri, programme coordinator at Helpline Healthcare Society, a health NGO working in Guwahati told G Plus that the main problem which leprosy patients face is the stigma they face in society.
“Many people also don’t know that the basic treatment for the disease is free of cost and is readily available at any government dispensary. So there’s a lack of awareness too,” said Huzuri.
She added that the symptoms take some time to fully show up and it takes anywhere between five to 15 years for the symptoms to appear. So the person suffering also doesn’t come to know about the presence of the disease.
“People usually ignore the early symptoms and slowly the patches grow in number and nodules appear which also lead to disability. This is when the patients visit the doctors but it is usually too late by this time,” informed another city-based health activist.
In order to sensitise people, the government as well as NGOs conduct awareness camps in different parts of the city as well as the state. Screening and sensitisation is also done during these camps since the disease is infectious.
Additionally, the government implements the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) which is a centrally sponsored health scheme and which has been implemented with the major objective of reducing the disease burden, prevention of disability and to improve awareness among the masses about leprosy and its curability.
Even though Assam had achieved the “elimination” status for leprosy, a large number of new cases are being detected yearly.
Under the twelfth five year plan, the government aims to eliminate leprosy, which is defined as prevalence of less than 1 case per 10,000 population in all districts of the country.
It also includes strengthening disability prevention and medical rehabilitation of persons affected by leprosy and reduction in the level of stigma associated with leprosy.