By Mphatso Nkuonera
KARONGA-(MANA)-Skin clinicians have appealed to government to training more health personnel on leprosy management in order to successfully fight the health problem.
Malawi which was declared leprosy free in 1970, by the World Health Organization, has recently registered the resurface of leprosy with cases rising amidst COVID-19 upsurge.
Karonga District Dermatology Clinical Officer, Henry Sinyiza says lack of trained personnel to rapidly notice the signs and symptoms puts the country at a high risk of facing an increase of leprosy.
“To detect signs and symptoms requires professional acquired knowledge, that demands for more trained staff across health hospitals, not only in Karonga, otherwise we may have more cases on the ground, than what we have registered on the paper as of now.
“There is need for more resources to get into serious research and provide transport to clinically detect how the situation is like on the ground,” he said.
He added that there is no need for isolation centers now as there are more advanced detecting machines and in the old times people did not know the causes and how the disease spreads.
“Leprosy spreads faster in those with low body immunity especially for those suffering from chronic diseases like TB, diabetes, high blood pressure and HIV and AIDS among others. Extra care during this COVID-19 pandemic period is important and we need to be very alert and working on closing knowledge gap so that we are able to manage leprosy,” he added.
Both Karonga and Rumphi have reported two active cases each with one case defaulting and have not been followed.
Dermatology Clinician Officer for Rumphi, Elizabeth Anderson, echoed on the need to train more staff in leprosy management before the situation gets out of hand, adding delays in understanding signs and symptoms will give room for the problem to worsen.
“Coughing and sneezing are some ways how leprosy multiplies, whereas contact with persons have less opportunities in spreading the problem. We ask people to mask up and guardians to isolate patients in their respective homes,” she advised.
She also added that due to lack of knowledge on recognizing signs and symptoms, many could be silent victims and carriers of leprosy something that she said demands more awareness in local communities across the country.
National TB and Leprosy Programme Coordinator, James Mpunga has said that they have, so far, registered 150 cases of leprosy over the past few months.
“The country managed to eliminate leprosy in 1994. The government has recommended that two joint programmes for the elimination of leprosy and TB by 2030 be run jointly, Mpunga said.
“Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes. It is curable, and treatment in the early stages can prevent disability,” he said.