A SCOTTISH charity is appealing to the public to help them consign leprosy to history after a survey found more than a third of Scots thought it was incurable.
The Leprosy Mission Scotland, which was established more than 140 years ago and is based in Stirling, on World Leprosy Day yesterday asked people to help eradicate the disease.
Leprosy is a bacterial infection that causes nerve damage and, if left untreated can lead to a loss of feeling or mobility in the hands and feet and around the eyes.
This can result in burns, blisters and other minor injuries going unnoticed, which can often lead to disfigurement and disability. Damage to the eyes can also leave sufferers blind.
Although there is now effective treatment, stigma still surrounds the disease in many countries. It is found in most countries in Asia, Africa and South and Central America.
One person around the world is diagnosed with leprosy every two minutes, but if diagnosed early it can be treated successfully.
However, the survey carried out for the Leprosy Mission by Censuswide Scotland found that 35% of Scots do not think that leprosy is a curable disease.
The latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated that more than 200,000 new cases were detected in 2019 – nearly 15,000 among children.
Linda Todd, CEO of the Leprosy Mission Scotland said Scotland had a history of supporting the fight against leprosy, but added: “Covid-19 has had a huge impact on diagnosis and treatment and as lockdown eases around the world demand for drugs to treat the condition will be high.
“As a result of the pandemic people with leprosy need our help now more than ever.
“We have been working alongside our sister organisations around the world towards a global goal of zero leprosy transmission by 2035.
“We’re appealing to the Scottish public to help us achieve this.”
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