Collective efforts for total leprosy elimination stressed

RAJSHAHI, July 30 (BSS): Narrating its social burden and other bad impacts, health specialists said creating mass-awareness about the sign and symptoms of leprosy and availability of its free treatment are very important to build a leprosy-free society.

To this end, synergic effort is needed so that all the leprosy cases are detected early as the disease is curable. Moreover, treatment is free of cost in all the upazila health complexes and other binary and tertiary hospitals.

Damien Foundation, Bangladesh is also implementing the 'Rajshahi Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Project' in collaboration with the ministry of health to address the problem. This project covers 25 upazilas in three districts-- Rajshahi, Naogaon and Nawabganj, with a population of about 68, 49,919.

Success of treatment is also significant in both multiple bacillary and posy bacillary cases, they added.