DUSHANBE, January 6, 2009, Asia-Plus — No leprosy case has been detected in Tajikistan since 2001, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The source at a MoH said that 72 lepers, including 44 men and 28 women, have been registered in the country to this date. 16 of them currently live in leper colony in the Hisor district.
Leprosy or Hansen”s disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external symptom. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.
Historically, leprosy has affected mankind since at least 600 BC, and was well-recognized in the civilizations of ancient China, Egypt and India. In 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that between two and three million people were permanently disabled because of leprosy. Although the forced quarantine or segregation of patients is unnecessary — and can be considered unethical — a few leper colonies still remain around the world.
