Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It is a contagious disease that affects the skin, mucous membrane, and nerves causing discoloration and lumps on the skin and in severe cases disfigurement and deformities. The mode of transmission remains uncertain, but is believed that M.leprae is spread from person to person primarily as a nasal droplet infection. The incubation period for a bacterial disease generally is 5 â 7 years. Progress in the fight against leprosy has been one of the greatest public health success and in the country, was eliminated in the mid-1990s. However on the 22nd August 2017 a confirmed leprosy cases was reported by the National Referral Hospital.
Objective:
To strengthen public health surveillance to monitor neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like leprosy as a control measure to avert disabilities in the Kingdom of Swaziland.