Tuberculosis declining in Nigeria - Medical Adviser

The Medical Adviser to the German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association, Enugu, Dr Daniel Oshi, has said that there is a decline in leprosy cases in the country.

Oshi said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday that due to the increase in geographical coverage of multi-drug therapy and patients' access to treatment, the disease had reduced.

"The national elimination target was achieved by the end of 1998 and at the end of 2007 all the states in Nigeria except Taraba attained the leprosy elimination target.
"Intensive leprosy elimination campaigns were held in many communities in Nigeria, including all leprosy centres.

"The global target for leprosy was reached in 2000 with the world prevalence rate of less than 600,000 cases," he said.

Oshi explained that the leprosy control program in Enugu was combined with tuberculosis control and was integrated into general health care services.
He said that in spite of the achievement by the association, there were still some challenges faced in eliminating the disease entirely from the country.
He said that there was inadequate skill in detecting and managing patients with the disease among health workers.

The medical adviser listed others challenges to include poor recording, especially skin charting on leprosy cards, poor referral linkages of patients and non involvement of secondary and tertiary health facilities.
"We also identified the lack of comprehensive leprosy rehabilitation activities and the impact of TB and HIV programmes on leprosy as some of the hindrances we encountered.