MALAPPURAM: Fifteen adults and three children were diagnosed with leprosy in October alone in Malappuram, district medical officer (DMO) R Renuka revealed on Thursday. This is besides the 38 adults and nine children who were found infected this year. They are all being accorded adequate treatment.
It was as part of the Bala Mitra 2.0 campaign that the new cases were detected, she said, adding the disease is entirely curable if detected at an early stage. The campaign, on from September 20 to November 30, aims to enhance early detection and treatment of leprosy in children.
School teachers, and anganwadi and Asha workers are being trained to conduct screening tests. Expert treatment will be administered free of charge to those showing symptoms.
“There’s no need for panic,” reassured Renuka, emphasising that necessary treatment facilities are available to address cases in the district. Migrant workers will also be subjected to screening, she said. Leprosy, an infectious ailment, induces severe, disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage in various parts of the body. The ancient malady, however, isn’t highly contagious.
Transmission occurs only through close and sustained contact with nasal and oral droplets from an untreated patient. Children are more susceptible to contracting the disease compared to adults.
However, leprosy cases in the state are showing a declining trend, show official data. While 705 and 675 cases were reported in 2018-19 and 2019-20 respectively, it dropped to 311 in 2020-21 and further to 264 in 2021-22.
The state has a prevalence rate of 0.13 per 10,000 population. There are over 500 leprosy patients under treatment.
Thanks to a well-executed awareness campaign in schools and anganwadis in the state, crucial information has been effectively conveyed to parents. This has significantly heightened awareness on leprosy prevention. The United Nations has set the target to eradicate leprosy worldwide by 2030.