‘End Leprosy Discrimination Now, For the Sake of Our Children’

Parents at Alheri leprosy colony outside Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have appealed for an end to discrimination, which they say impacts their children. Credit: Oluwatobi Enitan/IPS By Oluwatobi EnitanAbuja, Nigeria, Feb 3 2022 (IPS) Seidu Ishaiku lives in the hope that his children will succeed. He and his family live with about 300 other residents in the Alheri leprosy colony outside Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory Abuja. “They (our children) are obviously our future and hope,” Ishaiku says. “We don’t want our children to constitute a nuisance to society. We want them to succeed and become great people in future.” He was speaking to IPS a few days before World Leprosy Day commemorated this year on January 30. A homestead at Alheri leprosy colony outside Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.Credit: Oluwatobi Enitan/IPS The colony is in poor shape. The houses are dilapidated, there are few basic sanitation facilities, no sewage system, and the water tank at the clinic is empty. However, the borehole near their homes does guarantee a steady supply of water. Most of the community are forced to stay in the facility long after they are cured – and survive on subsistence farming and petty trading while their children collect firewood and hawk to make ends meet for the family. The clinic at Alheri leprosy colony outside Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, AbujaCredit: Oluwatobi Enitan/IPS According to th...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Africa COVID-19 Featured Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies TerraViva United Nations ​#Health​ #HumanRights IPS UN Bureau Sasakawa Health Foundation Source Type: news