Kogi State on Monday announced 20 new cases of leprosy in the state.
Briefing journalist in Lokoja at the COVID-19 palliatives distribution for communities of persons affected by leprosy and disabilities in Kogi State, the State Program officer, Leprosy Mission Nigeria, (LMN) Mrs Hannah Fashona explained that the new cases were recorded between January to November 2020.
Fashona who noted that the organization was determined towards ensuring that Nigeria is free from the disease added that the state referrer center located in Ochadamu, Eastern flank of Kogi State had succeeded in treating some patients affected with the disease.
According to her, it is on record that due to fear and lack of knowledge, over 3 million people across the world are living with undiagnosed leprosy and every day, the disease causes more damage to their health, livelihood and future.
The LMN program officer added that more than 600 people are diagnosed of leprosy in the world daily, adding that over 50 of these are children.
She explained further that Leprosy Mission is embarking on daily research to achieve zero leprosy in the world.
Fashona, however, faulted the claim of the Federal Government that Nigeria have attained zero elimination campaign of leprosy in the country.
“The issue in Nigeria is not only limited to leprosy alone. The Federal Ministry of Health recently said they have recorded zero elimination campaign of leprosy, whereas, day in, day out, we record new cases of which children are largely involved.
“Some of these patients don’t come when it is early, they come when it is either grade one or grade two disabilities. They must have gone round the whole herbalists before somebody will refer them to our referrer centre in Ochadamu for them to get solution. The Federal Government has to come in to achieve that zero elimination campaign and should not be by lip service”.