Mozambique Reports 51 New Cases Of Leprosy
Maputo, 18 Jan (AIM) – The Mozambican health authorities recorded last year, in the central province of Manica, 51 new cases of leprosy, and have warned that the disease will reach more children and the elderly, if patients do not follow the treatment properly.
This figure is an increase of nine cases when compared to 2021.
According to Muassithe Ibo, head of the Manica Health Department, quoted in Wednesday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Notícias”, “the authorities are trying ways to eliminate the disease, and of the 132 existing cases 26 have been discharged, 10 of which are paucibacillary and 16 are multibacillary.”
Most of the patients, said Ibo, should complete their medication this year, since there are enough drugs in the health units. “However, abandonment of treatment without just cause is an obstacle to the eradication of the disease, because it increases the danger of new infections,” he added.
“In cases where the patient drops out of treatment, he continues with the micro-organism in the body. This is a focus of contamination in the community where he lives, because many people are not aware of the symptoms of the disease”, he said.
For his part, the chairperson of the Association of People Affected by Leprosy (AMPAL) in Manica, Ajone André, said that the regions with most cases are the districts of Machaze, Chimoio, Barue, Sussundega, Mossurize, Guro, Tambara, Gondola and Vanduzi.
Mozambique was declared free of leprosy in 2008, when it registered a rate of less than one case per 10 thousand inhabitants, a criterion used to declare the elimination of leprosy.
(AIM)
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