Discrimination, a Killer of Dreams for People Affected by Leprosy

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, Yohei Sasakawa. Credit: Sasakawa Leprosy InitiativeBy Busani BafanaGENEVA, Jan 31 2024 (IPS) Tuji Sode detached himself from his family and hid himself from the public, embarrassed by his condition, which in biblical times meant exclusion from society and even death. Sode, a university student in Ethiopia, has Hansen’s Disease, also commonly known as leprosy. Leprosy is a bacterial disease that, left untreated, can cause severe disability and deformity.  Sode recalls the severe discrimination because of his leprosy. He developed a disability because the disease was detected too late for treatment. He admits to having tried different solutions to be cured. “I did it myself and sought local remedies like holy water,” Sode said in a video message at the launch of the Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy. “Discrimination restricts our opportunities for education, employment, and marriage, forcing us to detach from our families, lose property, and live a life that depends on begging,” said Sode, who called for global efforts to change the misconception about leprosy and fight entrenched stigmatization and discrimination. Debilitating Discrimination Sode’s pain was echoed by Kofi Nyarko, who represents a leprosy information service, IDEA, in Ghana. “It is very painful,” Nyarko says. “[For] a disease like lepros...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Active Citizens Aid Civil Society Development & Aid Editors' Choice Featured Global Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies TerraViva United Nations IPS UN Bureau IPS UN Bureau Report Source Type: news