Q & A: 607 Island Atolls Means it Hard to Distribute Leprosy Healthcare to All Micronesians

Marcus Samo, Assistant Secretary in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Department of Health Services, is concerned that the country has been unable to reduce the prevalence of Hansen’s disease. Credit: Stella Paul/IPSBy Stella PaulPOHNPEI , Apr 8 2019 (IPS) During his 22-year career in the health sector, Marcus Samo has seen the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) suffer from an increased burden of disease while at the same time the resources to address them have either remained the same or decreased. Samo is the Assistant Secretary in the country’s Department of Health Services, a post he has held for a decade. He has seen the rapid growth of both noncommunicable diseases (diabetes and heart ailments) and communicable diseases (tuberculosis and leprosy). Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Kiribati have among the highest rates of leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, in the world. But according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Micronesia has the highest prevalence of Hansen’s disease in the Pacific. And Samo considers the disease his country’s biggest health concern. “We don’t seem to be reducing leprosy the way we should, so it is a big concern for us. We appreciate the way we are getting support, such as drugs,” Samo tells IPS. Novartis, through the WHO, currently provides multidrug therapy or MDT free across the globe. And this March, Samo met with a team from the Sasakawa Health Foundation/Nippon Foundation, led by the foundation’...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Aid Asia-Pacific Development & Aid Editors' Choice Featured Headlines Health Population Regional Categories TerraViva United Nations Federated States of Micronesia Nippon Foundation Sasakawa Health Foundation Sasakawa Memorial He Source Type: news