For decades, leprosy was considered an epidemic in Nepal. It changed in 2010 when the government declared the disease eliminated in the Himalayan country. The 2009-10 data showed the prevalence of leprosy across Nepal dropped below one case per 10,000 of the population — the WHO benchmark for declaring that leprosy was no longer a public health problem. It did not necessarily mean the country was leprosy-free. The reality was that in some areas, particularly in the north and in the hills, there was little or no leprosy, but in the southern Terai region there was still a lot of leprosy. This was partly due to larger concentrations of population and poverty in the south, which borders northern India.
Nepal’s battle against leprosy is far from over – UCA News
Nepal’s battle against leprosy is far from over – UCA News
Posted by