The Minister of Health and Social Services has called for collective efforts to eliminate the stigma against people with leprosy.
Dr. Kalumbi Shangula made the call at the commemoration of World Leprosy Day at Kongola in the Zambezi Region under the theme "Unite. Act. Eliminate.".
Dr. Shangula noted that this year's theme amplified a call to increase efforts and enlighten communities on the issue related to leprosy.
The World Health Organisation records 200,000 cases of leprosy globally, and the African region has shown a gradual decline in cases over the years.
Dr. Shangula explained that delayed diagnosis, socio-economic barriers, and the stigma associated with the disease, which often leads to underreporting, are but some of the challenges the health sector is faced with.
"In Namibia, although we have largely eliminated leprosy as a public health concern, which is defined as having fewer than one case per 10,000 people, sporadic cases persist. As detailed in the Ministry of Health and Social Services' Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Master Plan for 2023-2027, our goal is to drastically interrupt leprosy transmission by 2027. Regions such as Oshana, Kavango West, Kavango East, Khomas, and Zambezi have reported various cases, some new and some relapses, amounting to 28 cases in total for the current financial year."
The Sibbinda Constituency Councillor Mikey Lukaezi reiterated the minister's sentiments while also applauding the progress made in overcoming the stigma against leprosy in the region.
"Leprosy has been a real challenge with how it was being handled, mostly because of stigma. I witnessed how they were being buried before independence because I'm not a born free. People with leprosy have gone through a very difficult situation, but today, as we speak, in an independent Namibia, the religion, the culture of stigma, is bit by bit coming to an end."
Leprosy Ambassador Nyambe Mushwaule, who first showed signs and symptoms in 2015, shared his account of having leprosy and experiencing the stigma surrounding it.
"I would be given medication before the hospital even tested me for anything that could link me to the disease. They would only give me pills and draw blood, but there was no progress or results. I decided to go to traditional healers since hospitals were failing me. The traditional healers told me I was bewitched by people who were jealous of my ability to provide for myself."
He recalled how, over time, he could no longer do physical labour.
Mushwaule was diagnosed in 2022, and he was put on medical treatment last year, which he said has significantly improved his quality of life.