Roton Malo
Health experts said leprosy affected people in Bangladesh can play a greater role in new case detection within their families and ensure early treatment in Bangladesh’s rural areas where health workers cannot reach.
Attending separate programmes in Noakhali and Feni districts, arranged by The Leprosy Mission International-Bangladesh (TLMI-B), experts made these remarks.
Feni Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer (UH&FPO) Dr Masud Rana, said “A leprosy patient can play a vital role in new case detection within his/her own family.”
He also urged the leprosy affected persons to use their own life experience in detecting new leprosy case in their own families.
Dr Masud Rana said “A leprosy patient can actively volunteer in new case detection and ensuring early treatment and eventually to achieve the common goal of freeing the globe from leprosy.”
TLMI-B arranged two separate orientation events in Feni and Noakhali for leprosy affected people as they can examine their family members and identify leprosy patients and bring them under treatment early.
Attending the event, Noakhali Sadar UH&FPO Md Mahbubur Rahman, appreciated the initiative and urged the leprosy affected persons to work for safety of their own families.
Md Khalekuzzaman, Senior Project Officer, TLMI-B, conducted the orientation events attended by over seventeen leprosy affected patients from different upazilas in Noakhali and Feni districts.
The main objective of the orientation programme was to make the leprosy affected person (LAP) aware and eligible in finding new case within their own families as they acquire knowledge for checking or testing skins of their family members aiming to ensure early case detection, treatment as well as a voluntary participation of LAP in gaining the zero-leprosy goal.
Noakhali Sadar TB and Leprosy Control Assistant (TLCA) Md Iman Hossain, Feni Sadar’s acting TLCA Nurul Amin also attended the events respectively in two districts.
The leprosy affected people expressed their happiness after knowing some easy tips and techniques of detecting leprosy case by examining clinical symptoms. They agreed to volunteer in new case detection in their own families.
Talking about the issue, Chandpur Program Organizer (PO) Mahbuba Akhter at Civil Surgeon Office, said “This initiative will ensure early detection and treatment of leprosy affected people in Bangladesh.”
“If LAP can be trained and oriented to examine the signs and symptoms, they can work as effective volunteer and reduce social stigma as well,” she added.
