International experts launch drive to erase stigma of leprosy

International experts signed yesterday the second global appeal to end the stigma and discrimination against people with leprosy, a disease that affects 9,460 people in the Western Pacific region alone.

Yohei Sasakawa, chair of the Nippon Foundation, said he observed that people with leprosy are being singled out more than those with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

"People with leprosy are sometimes being disowned by their own families… People with AIDS still get the support from their families and friends but this does not happen among those with leprosy," Sasakawa said during a press conference.

Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by a bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae. Since it affects mainly the skin and nerves, the disease can be progressive and cause permanent damage to the limbs if left untreated.

Sasakawa said leprosy ceased to be a public health menace when an effective cure for it became available in 1980s. But despite this, people who contract this disease — as well as their families — still experience discrimination.

"We want the world to know that leprosy is now curable so no one should suffer from discrimination," Sasakawa said.

In a manifesto, experts and people with leprosy reiterated that while leprosy is a curable disease, "misguided notions about leprosy persist, with devastating consequences for those thus stigmatized."

"Denying the inherent human rights of anyone on the basis of disease is indefensible. Discrimination can never be justified," the manifesto stated.

The first global appeal was signed one year ago yesterday.

1,000 cases a year

According to Dr. Jean Marc Olivé, country representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Philippines and China are the only countries in the Western Pacific region that report more than 1,000 new cases of leprosy every year.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said these figures are only a result of the "effective surveillance and monitoring system" being implemented by the government through its anti-leprosy campaign.

"It’s not as if we’re having an outbreak. It’s because of our active case detection system that we are able to monitor cases. We have an efficient reporting system," he said.

In the Philippines, a total of 3,156 leprosy patients are registered as of December 2005. The prevalence rate of the disease is pegged at one per 10,000 Filipinos.

Endemic

Leprosy is endemic in the cities of Vigan and Candon in Ilocos Sur; San Jose and Muñoz in Nueva Ecija; and Cagayan de Oro in Misamis Oriental, as well as in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

"Surviving leprosy is a big thing but, apparently, surviving the stigma that comes along with it is bigger… We are calling on all Filipinos and other citizens of the world to create an environment where leprosy-affected individuals can lead normal lives," Duque said.