Project Sekong 2013: Leprosy, once known as Hansen’s Disease, can be cured but some fear the stigma so they delay treatment
This man, from small village in a remote region of Laos is seeking treatment after his illness has progressed to the point that he has had a leg amputated, his fingers have atrophied, and he is blind in one eye.
It’s especially heart-breaking to meet people in Laos who have lost limbs or vision to leprosy (the illness previously called Hansen’s Disease). Heart-breaking because victims of this disease, if treated promptly, can be spared its ravages.
Patients undergoing treatment, consume three different kinds of antibiotics over a six to twelve month period. The earlier the diagnosis is made and treatment begun, the more positive the outcome. In Laos, treatment is usually paid for with funds provided by a non-government organization (NGO).
Leprosy is caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae, related to the one that causes tuberculosis, but much slower to reproduce. A person who contracts leprosy may live years before obvious symptoms appear.
As the bacteria associated with leprosy kill nerves, a victim’s muscles atrophy and fingers will begin to curl claw-like. Over time, the person’s body may begin absorbing the calcium in the bones, shrinking fingers into useless nubs.
Sadly, victims of leprosy in Laos, like victims in many other parts of the world, are viewed with revulsion. Often, their entire extended family is discriminated against. For this reason, some victims hide their illness until it’s effects become obvious. At that point they may be disfigured, blind, and immobile due to the loss of limbs.
This is an issue I’ve had some experience with during my years in refugee resettlement. Remind me sometime to tell you abt. Hanson’s Disease in Wausau! I was very pleased to read an article in the NYTimes last week that told about a new test for Hanson’s that requires just a drop of blood and only costs a dollar. It was developed in this country but isn’t used here yet. I’m HOPING that it will allow family members of folks who’ve been afflicted with Hanson’s to prove that they are not infected as well as letting those who are cured prove that. I’ve seen the suffering of young people who aren’t allowed to marry someone from a family with any Hanson’s in their family tree. . .or if they do marry the person they love, face rejection by their own family. Could a medical test overcome tradition? Maybe for some.