In a bid to educate and advocate for dehumanization of
lepers in the society, Junior chamber international Nigeria in collaboration
with NIPPON Foundation, Japan, is embarking on a thorough sensitization tagged
“Think leprosy Now”. The Campaign is a social responsibility initiative geared
at creating conducive environment for leapers and educating all stakeholders to
play an important role.
“The think Leprosy now” is a global appeal which came
out of the need for change designed to restore hope and dignity to people
living with leprosy and how they should be perceived. The campaign will take
the organisation on a work to the major leprosy colony in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ogbomoso,
Enugu and Abuja.
Commenting at the programme kick off , the immediate
National President, JCI Nigeria, JCI Ambassador Olatunji Oyeyemi said " a
lot of Nigerians do not know that leprosy is a curable disease and this has
resulted in unnecessary stigmatisation of victims.
He also reiterated that if the public understands the
disease better, people affected with leprosy will feel freer to seek treatment
at most general hospitals where treatment is free instead of isolating them. "Let’s
give them an opportunity to contribute to the development of the society and
also to live like every one of us by working together to support them, also
having an all inclusive mindset to ensuring and creating awareness and
sensitization nation wide” he added
Leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the
peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions
(light or dark patches) are the primary external sign. If untreated, leprosy can progress and
cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Contrary to
folklore, leprosy does not cause body parts to fall off, although they can
become numb or diseased as a result of secondary infections; these occur as a
result of the body's defenses being compromised by the primary disease Secondary
infections, in turn, can result in tissue loss, causing fingers and toes to
become shortened and deformed, as cartilage is absorbed into the body
However, leprosy is actually not that
contagious. You can catch it only if you come into close and repeated contact
with nose and mouth droplets from someone with untreated leprosy. Children are
more likely to get leprosy than adults.
It usually takes about 3 to 5 years for symptoms
to appear after coming into contact with the leprosy-causing bacteria. Some
people do not develop symptoms until 20 years later. The time between contact
with the bacteria and the appearance of symptoms is called the incubation
period. Leprosy's long incubation period makes it very difficult for doctors to
determine when and where a person with leprosy got infected.
Today, about 180,000 people worldwide
are infected with leprosy, according to the World Health Organization, most of
them in Africa and Asia. About 100 people are diagnosed with leprosy in the
U.S. every year, mostly in the South, California, Hawaii, and some U.S.
territories.
To be part of this life saving campaign, join us on our
various social media platforms : #ThinkLeprosyNow, #JELLS, @thinkleprosynow www.facebook.com/thinkleprosynow, on Instagram and twitter.
JCI is a nonprofit organization of young active citizens age 18
to 40 who are engaged and committed to creating impact in their communities.
Active citizens are individuals invested in the future of our world. JCI
gathers active citizens from all sectors of society. We develop the skills,
knowledge and understanding to make informed decisions and take action. As
globally minded young people, we all have rights, responsibilities and share
goals. We find targeted solutions to local issues benefitting our communities,
our world and our future. Embracing new ideas, collaboration and diversity, we
have the passion and courage to address the critical challenges of our time
JCI NIGERIA
Junior Chamber International Nigeria -- a worldwide federation of young and active citizen. Mission
to provide development opportunities that empower
young people to create positive change’ and Vision to be the
leading global network of young active citizens’. Established in 1957,
are Young Active Citizens taking action and creating impact in 36 states of the
federation.
NIPPON
Foundation is a Japan-based
private, non-profit making organization that aims at achieving a society where
people support each other, reducing the burden and challenges faced together
through social innovation.
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