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Leprosy awareness addresses "curse"

    NAIROBI

    The Ministry of Health has said that 86 percent of people suffering from leprosy in Ethiopia have been completing medical treatment courses successfully. Dr Fekade Selase Mikru, a member of the WHO's Tuberculosis and Leprosy Prevention and Control Team, said there had been a recent rise in the numbers patients conforming to proper treatment, the official government Walta Information Centre said on Monday.

    Fekade said it was now possible to complete treatment of lepers within six months to one year, as opposed to earlier treatments, which "lasted for a lifetime". Ethiopia has been carrying out leprosy awareness programmes with the aim of addressing misconceptions about leprosy - like the commonly held belief that it is genetically transmitted, or a "curse" on the sufferer. According to Fekade, 2,548 lepers registered over the last six months were receiving medical treatment.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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