Although there is a target to make Bangladesh leprosy free by 2030, leprosy patients are not decreasing as expected. Leprosy patients are regularly detected in many border districts. Meherpur is one of the ten most dangerous districts in the country regarding leprosy spread. Physicians are advised to focus more on researching programs to eradicate this neglected disease. The government is taking a new plan with the NGOs and the World Health Organization.
If there are more than 5 leprosy patients per 100,000 population, the area is considered red marked by the health department. Meherpur is a bordering district among these ten red marked districts. Leprosy patients are constantly being detected in the district. Six leprosy patients have already received disability. Neglected, this terrible disease has robbed them of their normal life. Neglecting them as normal skin problems is the cause of their health loss. After taking treatment for a long time, the patient of this disease is cured. Then he carries the scars for the rest of his life. Moreover, even if leprosy is cured by taking regular medicine
There are various social barriers in our society. Due to these reasons, leprosy patients become mentally ill. Relatives and even their own families were separated. The demand of leprosy patients is to set up rehabilitation centers for leprosy patients in these districts along with treatment.
Jamela Khatun of Tetul Baria village of Meherpur Gangni upazila. While describing the disease of leprosy, she said that 10 years ago, her husband Mosharf Hossain's body was diagnosed with leprosy when small spots appeared on his legs and waist. Later, due to lack of proper treatment, this scar gradually increased, and then he developed a sore on his leg. He died due to the burden of leprosy and age. Due to living together for a long time, his infection spread to about 10 other family members one by one. The number of these patients is increasing at an alarming rate among the people of several villages including Kalyanpur, Karamdi, Hinda of Gangni upazila, Sonapur, Shibpur, Anandbas of Mujibnagar upazila, like members of this family.
According to the information of Meherpur District Civil Surgeon Office, According to official estimates, in Meherpur district in 2016, 40 patients were suddenly infected with leprosy in different areas. According to the information of Meherpur Health Department, since 2017, the number of leprosy patients has been 253, of which 65 have been identified in critical condition, and 32 are currently undergoing treatment. According to a survey by the Leprosy Mission International, a non-governmental organization working on leprosy, they claim that the number is more.
Sandhya Rani, a health worker of Salome, a non-governmental organization working on leprosy, said that although the patient is cured of leprosy in treatment, there are also social barriers. The new leprosy patient detection process is still insufficient, the incidence of leprosy in the districts bordering India is seen to be high. These districts have already been declared red zone, namely, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh. Joypurhat, Moulvibazar and Meherpur.
Local doctors complain that leprosy patients are infiltrating from India at various times. Meherpur Sadar UHFPO Dr Alok Kumar Das also made the same comment.
Ronal Gomez, director of Salome, a non-governmental organization on leprosy, said that 4,000 people are newly diagnosed with leprosy in Bangladesh every year. 6% of these patients are suffering from various disabilities permanently. Worst of all, 5% of them are children. Whose future is running towards uncertainty. We are working on leprosy with the aim of creating a disability free society as per the announcement of the Hon'ble Prime Minister.
Masuma Parveen, Manager, The Leprosy Mission International, Dhaka, said that if it is not possible to identify leprosy patients in all the villages of the district with the health workers of community clinics in remote areas, then its spread will be alarming.
He demanded the government to strongly identify leprosy patients.
Working on leprosy, Canada's volunteer worker, Tom Bradley, said the leprosy germs have now been identified, and treatment and medicine are now needed. The number of patients suffering from this disease is increasing. It is necessary to prevent this disease as soon as possible
Dr Jawaharul Anam Siddiqui, Civil Surgeon, Meherpur said leprosy is spread through sneezing and coughing. The germs of this disease remain dormant for many days. Ignorance and not informing the doctor about the disease is the main obstacle. The health department has taken a program to detect this disease.
Now the people of those villages are scared even if there is any big scar on the body. Many are dying without knowing it due to lack of treatment. It is the hope of the health department that the leprosy patients will be identified and treated from house to house.
