The word leprosy origines comes from an ancient latin Λέπρα [léprā],that means scaly. The Mycobacterium leprae, discovered in 1873 by Armauer Hansen in Norway is the first bacterium to be identified as causing disease in humans. It can affect the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose. Main types of leprosy are Tuberculoid and Lepromatous, both types produce lesions on the skin. Lepromatous is more severe than Tuberculoid, it produces large disfiguring in the bones.
While the number of cases worldwide continues to fall, from 265,661 in 2006 to 202,185 in 2018, there are parts of the world where leprosy is more common, including Brazil, South Asia (India, Nepal, Bhutan), some parts of Africa (Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique), and the western Pacific. India reported the greatest number of new cases (60% of reported cases), followed by Brazil (13%) and Indonesia (8%).
Many organisations are helping people to fight against leprosy. They have been working towards a world free of leprosy and social exclusion due to disabilities. In Egypt, located in Abu Zaabal there is a group of nuns called Malta nuns that help people with leprosy.
Although the World Leprosy Day is observed internationally every year on the last Sunday of January, not many people are aware of this disease. Egypt doesn’t have a lot of institutions to treat those diseases because it’s not widespread.. They should be respected, treated equally, other people should not be afraid of them and they should have the care they need. We hope the awareness about this disease will be spreaded among more people. So they feel supported, cared about by having special hospitals or institutions to treat them.
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