All government departments, citizens, health workers, doctors, and development workers to treat leprosy patients as citizens, not just patients, an urge by Mr Zahid Malek, MP Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Health and Family through his closing speech. on 12 November 2023 at the Hotel Intercontinental Dhaka.
National strategic plan for Leprosy in Bangladesh 2022-2030 has been developed by National Leprosy Program to implement the declaration of our Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina “Zero Leprosy Initiative by 2030”
The strategy incorporates World Health Organization (WHO)’s latest global recommendation on leprosy suspect identification, case diagnosis and management, referral system and effective recording and reporting.
In 2022, Bangladesh reported 2988 new cases of Leprosy, the 6th highest number in the world and total disable patients due to Leprosy is 186, the 10th highest number in the world. Despite achieving public health elimination in 1998 by Bangladesh, the presence of undiagnosed leprosy cases within the community is a challenge.
Bangladesh government provides all sorts of medical facilities for the Leprosy patients completely free of cost. To ensure that healthcare services are accessible to even the most remote areas, the government has established a network of healthcare facilities.
TB Leprosy Control Assistant (TLCA), Program Organizer (PO) and Community health workers have played a crucial role in raising awareness and providing healthcare services towards Leprosy patients.
Multi drug therapy has been made available from all 500 rural sub-district Health Complexes. Leprosy was once feared as highly contagious and devastating disease, but now we know it doesn’t spread easily and treatment is very effective. With early diagnosis and treatment, the disease can be cured.
The government through National Leprosy Program intend to introduce Single Dose Rifampicin therapy as a prophylactic measure to prevent Leprosy. Various research has shown that SDR can be a good appliance to prevent Leprosy disease in Bangladesh.
Hon’ble Minister also added, ” We believe we can end the transmission of Leprosy by 2030 through active case findings and treating all case of Leprosy. We will work hand to hand to established our Honorable Prime Minister goal of “Zero Leprosy Initiative by 2030”
I again thank Sasakawa Health Foundation to arrange such a beautiful program and also thanks all the participants, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services directorate General of Health and National Leprosy Program for all their efforts to make todays program successful.
