Some neighbouring Caribbean countries recording leprosy cases

By Admin. Updated 3:59 p.m., Saturday, January 13, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

St. Lucia recorded eleven (11) new leprosy cases in 2023 while Barbados has reported one (1) new case of the disease in 2024.

Leprosy is also called Hansen’s disease.

According to the Government of St. Lucia’s official Facebook page, the General Health Summary for 2023 published on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, by the country’s Ministry of Health showed that the country recorded 11 new cases of Leprosy which represents a 120% increase from 2020 to 2023.

“A national action plan has been drafted for the elimination of Leprosy on island. This includes an educational public health campaign, intensive contact tracing in the affected communities, re-training of health care workers towards early detection and diagnosis, increased in-country testing and more aggressive and consistent treatment,” St. Lucia’s government said.

St. Lucia is located to the north of St. Vincent.

Meanwhile, health officials in Barbados have reported that the country has recorded a single case of leprosy so far in 2024.

According to Barbados Today, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Arthur Phillips gave an assurance that there was no need for panic.

“The rare disfiguring disease that was once the scourge of life in Barbados 100 years ago, required sufferers to be isolated in a purpose-built leper colony,” the Barbados Today report stated.

“The reality is that we usually have zero or one case of leprosy; that’s the general trend,” Dr Phillips told Barbados TODAY in an interview.

“Right now, we have one case that is being treated, and they are coming to the end of their treatment, and they have another month or two to go,” Barbados Today reported Dr Phillips as saying.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the last reported case of leprosy in Barbados was in 2022.

Barbados is located to the east of St. Vincent.

Here are some important notes about Hansen’s disease (leprosy), according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Hansen’s disease does not spread easily from person to person. You cannot get leprosy through casual contact such as shaking hands, sitting next to, or talking to someone who has the disease.
• Prolonged, close contact with someone with untreated Hansen’s disease over many months is needed to become infected. Around 95% of all people cannot become sick because they are naturally immune.
• Leprosy can be cured with antibiotic treatment. Once someone starts treatment for Hansen’s disease, they can no longer spread the disease to other people.