St Monica's Health Centre in Yakoko, Nigeria distributes soap and toiletries

About Leprosy

What exactly is leprosy?
Leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) is a chronic disease caused by a bacillus mycobacterium leprae. It affects principally the skin, the upper respiratory tract, peripheral nerves in hands and feet, and the eyes.

How is it transmitted?
Leprosy is transmitted mainly via droplets from the nose. There is no need to isolate patients because contact and living with those affected only very rarely result in transference with development of the disease.

How infectious is it?
Some 95% of us have a natural immunity to leprosy. The remaining 5% become vulnerable, mainly through poor nutrition, poor living conditions, lack of hygiene and a weakened immune system. Leprosy is not hereditary.

What are the signs of leprosy?
The first sign is a discoloured insensitive patch on the skin, then thickened and palpable cutaneous nerves.

How is it diagnosed?
Diagnosis is not always straightforward. The most reliable method is a skin-smear scan in the laboratory.

Why are people with leprosy often so disfigured?
People with leprosy lose all feeling in the affected areas. There is diminished awareness of harm from trauma or heat. Without treatment, this can lead to permanent damage to skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.

Is there a cure?
Leprosy is curable by Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT), available free from the World Health Organisation. If MDT is taken in the early stages of the disease, permanent damage to nerves is completely avoided.

Will it ever be eradicated?
Not while poverty, poor hygiene and overcrowding persist across large areas of the world. Long delays in diagnosis due to fear of rejection, shortage of health service staff familiar with leprosy, and lack of a simple and reliable test to confirm diagnosis, are all impediments.

How does St Francis Leprosy Guild deal with it?
The Guild provides financial help to find, treat and rehabilitate those with the disease and to support those too infirm to work. It sponsors awareness programmes to help eliminate the stigma associated with leprosy.