Health experts at a post-rally discussion have stressed on early diagnosis and full course treatment of the infectious leprosy disease for preventing lifelong neuropathy and disability.
They said this at the discussion arranged by the Civil Surgeon Office and the Leprosy Mission International-Bangladesh at Sadar Hospital auditorium here in observance of the World Leprosy Day on Saturday.
Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Amin Ahmmed Khan led the rally and attended the discussion as the chief guest with Civil Surgeon Dr. Hirombo Kumar Roy in the chair.
Leprosy Medicine expert of the United Kingdom Dr. Peter Ayatrop, Director of Leprosy Mission International-Bangladesh Suman Halder, its Programme Leader Surendra Nath Singh, among others, addressed.
The experts cussed the symptoms of the infectious disease of leprosy caused by Mycobacterium leprae involving the skin and peripheral nerves.
The infection is highly responsive to treatment and causes disabilities of the eyes, hands, and feet due to neuropathy those often not reversible and may require lifelong care and rehabilitation.
The Civil Surgeon put emphasis on early diagnosis of the disease and said that full course treatment of leprosy is critical for preventing lifelong neuropathy and disability.
“Even in the present time, leprosy still remains poorly understood and often feared by the general public and even by some in the healthcare professions, although it is not highly contagious and very effective treatment of the disease is now available,” he said.
The chief guest called for creating awareness among the common people to inspire them for early diagnosis and complete treatment to minimise the likelihood of various kinds of disabilities by preventing the infectious disease.
BSS from Gaibandha adds: The World Leprosy Day was celebrated in the district on Saturday with a call to eradicate the Leprosy disease from the district and the country by 2030 with the theme of “Zero Disability, Zero Discrimination, Zero Disease of Leprosy”.
Marking the day, the Civil Surgeon (CS) office chalked out elaborate programmes in cooperation with National Leprosy Programme of Directorate General of Health Services, The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh (TLMIB) and effect:hope (The Leprosy Mission, Canada).
In the morning, a grand rally was brought out from the CS office premises and ended at the same venue after parading the main roads of the town.
Later, a discussion was also held at the auditorium of the CS office with CS Dr ABM Abu Hanif in the chair.
President of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), district chapter, Dr Matiar Rahman addressed the meeting as the chief guest and general secretary Dr. Nazrul Islam spoke at the event as special guest.
The function was also addressed, among others, by Sadar Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Diana Sarker, Resident Medical Officer of Sadar Hospital Dr Sheikh M Sultan Ahmed, Medical Officer of CS office Dr Al-
Mahmudul Alam, Senior Health Education Officer Chowdhury Abdullah Shams,
Health Inspector Abdul Hannan, Technical Support Officer of PROYAS project.
Keshab Chandra, leprosy patients Shamim Miah and Swapna Begum.
The speakers underscored the need for creating much awareness among the people about leprosy, finding out the leprosy patients and then bringing them under free treatment facilities to build a leprosy free society.
Earlier, consultant of chest diseases clinic Dr. Nazmul Huda made a welcome speech and said leprosy is not a curse and it is like any other diseases. At present, leprosy has become a completely curable disease in all stages if the patients are taken under proper and regular treatment programme, he said.
The loss of touch, pain and temperature sensations in the skin, loss of movement or paralysis of the muscles and loss of sweating and absence of itching are the early signs of leprosy which mainly spreads through the air, he concluded.
A large number of health officials and staff, NGO activists and leprosy
patients including journalists took part in the programme.
Apart from it, leprosy disease detecting campaigns by the community base organisations formed by the leprosy patients were also held at other six upazila headquarters of the district marking the day under the project of Mobilization and Empowerment of People with Disabilities of TLMIB, said area development officer Sariful Islam.
Another reports : A Bharta-Bhat Karmosuchi (Dish of boiled vegetable or fish mixed with salt, oil, onion and chili – Rice Programme) began in the district to eradicate leprosy disease from here forever before 2030. PROYAS, a project of The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh (TLMIB), would implement the programme in the district in cooperation with district health department led by civil surgeon (CS) and local government bodies with the financial support of hope: effect (The Leprosy Mission of Canada).
Under the programme, a team of health officials and employees including the activists of the project would conduct their activity in search of leprosy patients at every ward of the union taking the local union parishad (UP) members.
The respective UP member would arrange the lunch (Bharta-Bhat) for the team for one day and for it, it is called Bharta-Bhat Karmosuchi.
In this way, all the 82 unions would be brought under leprosy searching activity in phases and the suspicious patients would be sent to hospital for disease confirmation.
If the disease is confirmed through diagnosis, the patient would be provided treatment free of cost until fully cure.
On Sunday afternoon, the programme was launched through a function held at Boail union parishad complex under Sadar upazila in the district marking the World Leprosy Day-2020.
CS Dr. ABM Abu Hanif addressed the function as the chief guest with UP chairman AM Mazed Uddin Khan in the chair.
Medical officer of CS office Dr. Al Mahmudul Haque, technical support officer of the project Keshob Chandra Roy, area development officer of Mobilization and Empowerment of People with Disabilities (MEPD) project Sariful Islam and senior journalist Sarker Mohammad Shahiduzzaman spoke at the function, among others.
