WHO helps Myanmar treat leprosy disease in N division

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February 23, 2009


The World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations is helping Myanmar cure nearly 600 leprosy patients in the country's northern Mandalay division annually, sources with the anti-leprosy authorities said on Sunday.

Mandalay division is a tropical region where infectious leprosy virus Myeo Bacterium can spread easily, medical experts were quoted by the weekly Voice as saying.

Myanmar has implemented anti-leprosy campaign for over half a century since 1952, introducing Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) in 1986 for treatment recommended by the WHO and paving way for the eradication of leprosy with integrated services expanding to more areas in the country.



Myanmar was once regarded as one of the countries where leprosy prevalence was high.

Due to decades' efforts in leprosy eradication, especially some measures taken by the government after the Third Meeting of Global Alliance for Elimination of Leprosy in 2003, the prevalent rate in Myanmar declined to 0.47 patient per 10,000 population at the end of 2006 from 0.6 per 10,000 population in 2003, according to official figures.

The figures also showed that over 260,000 cases were treated and cured between 1988 and 2005.

Source:Xinhua