The Gombe State Government says it recorded 40 fresh cases of leprosy in 2016.
Dr Mustapha Musa, the Programme Manager, Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Unit of the state, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Tuesday that the cases were detected in Nafada, Funakaye, Yamaltu-Deba and Kwami Local Government Areas.
He said out of the 40 cases, 12 were children, which means there was still ongoing infections in the communities.
“We have embarked on contact tracing of the infections to pin down the sources, therefore, we are calling for more concerted effort among all the stakeholders,” he said.
According to Musa, despite this development, the state has met the World Health Organisation (WHO) targets of leprosy elimination.
“WHO define one case in 10,000 populations as elimination targets,’’ he said.
According to him, leprosy is an air borne disease which can be transmitted through cough and sneezing.
“Those that have the micro bacterium whenever they sneeze, anyone who is close to them inhales it, stands the risk of been infected,” he said.
Musa appealed to the public to report to the nearest hospital whenever they noticed any skin discolouration and loss of sensation. “Leprosy is curable but when detected early, there will be no disability and the treatment is free of charge, drugs are available,” he said.
The programme manager further said leprosy was categorised in two types; Multibacillary (MB) which treatment last for 12 to 18 months, and Poulcibacillary (PB) which treatment last for six to 12 months, depending on the level of infection.
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