MoH records leprosy cases annually

Although worrisome, the leprosy cases, discovered primarily in the north-western parts of Botswana, are well below the World Health Organisation (WHO) threshold of 1 case in 100,000 population, Ndibo Monyatsi, a senior official in the Ministry of Health said yesterday.

Leprosy is among the class of diseases known as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD), age-old diseases found in many parts of Africa, whose treatment have been neglected due to a focus on higher profile and more life-threatening illnesses.  Other than leprosy, other NTDs found in Botswana include blinding trachoma, bilharzia (schistosomiasis) and soil transmitted parasitic worms (helminthes).