No be small wahala o! As World Leprosy Day dey ground, dermatologists wey dey work for Nigeria don raise alarm say dem dey face serious shortage of multidrug therapy (MDT) wey fit cure leprosy. Prof Dasetima Altraide, wey be the president for Nigerian Association of Dermatologists, talk say dis matter don dey happen for over two years now.
According to am, many patients for different states no dey see the life-saving medicines because of wahala wey come from regulatory and administrative delays wey dey hinder clearance and distribution of drugs wey don donate. Na wetin e talk as e drop this gist for Abuja.
Make we no forget say leprosy, wey dem dey call Hansen’s disease, na serious matter wey fit cure well well with the WHO-recommended MDT. Wetin dey vex Altraide be say dem no show Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis certificates wey go allow NAFDAC to check the quality of the drugs. This one dey block people from getting treatment wey dem need.
He shout say if treatment no dey available, how person go take get cure? E no fit work! Untreated leprosy dey bring plenty wahala like nerve damage and even deformities, plus na so e dey spread join for affected communities. E be like say na just stigma dey hold people back from seeking treatment as the 2026 theme talk say ‘Leprosy is curable, but the real challenge is stigma’.
Altraide dey beg say make dem urgently intervene and make all agencies collaborate to release the MDT supply make everywhere fit get access to treatment again. If dem allow future disruptions, it fit spoil the control efforts wey dem don dey use before.
Talk true, e no be say we no sabi, as e get one 17-year Lagos study wey show say essential medicines na public health duty, human rights issue and na national responsibility we no fit run away from.
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