Over 3,500 Nigerians infected with leprosy annually – Mission

The Leprosy Mission of Nigeria on Monday disclosed that no fewer than 3,500 Nigerians are infected with leprosy annually, with about 25 per cent having some degree of disability and serious body deformity.
The Operations Manager in charge of the Mission, Pius Ogbu, disclosed this to newsmen at a briefing to mark the Mission’s Policy Makers Workshop in Minna, the Niger State capital.
According to Ogbu: “We have discovered that the number of persons affected annually by the disease in Nigeria is over 3,500, with about 25 per cent of patients having some degree of disability.
“The stigma and discrimination against these people in the country are very high due to the myth and suspicion associated with the disease.
“Every new case of persons affected by the disease and discovered was diagnosed for possible treatment, with the Mission’s support and care, especially as the disease was mostly common in places of poverty, dirty water, poor nutrition and low standard of living.”
Ogbu added that the Mission has earmarked N50 million for the execution of its projects in Niger State in the next three years.
“The Mission will spend N11 million out of the said amount this year on some of its activities, which had already commenced in the state, while N20 million will be expended in 2014, with the remaining N19 million set aside for use in 2015,” he said.
The Operations Manager informed our correspondent that the project was aimed at addressing the discrimination, stigma, exclusion and human rights abuses due to leprosy disease, as well as to improve the quality of lives of persons affected by the disease in four local government areas of Niger State, which include Chanchaga, Shiroro Munya and Paikoro.
Furthermore, Ogbu said that the Policy Makers Workshop would comprise opinion leaders, local government authorities, civil cociety groups, politicians and community leaders.