Can leprosy be controlled environmentally?
The World health Organization is supporting an eradication campaign which involves education and earlydiagnosis as well as treatment; as with all diseases, early diagnosis reduces problems for the individual, as well as reducing further spread and saving money. But the centuries-old stigma attached to leprosy has produced modern problems – disease reporting is probably woefully below the real levels in some endemic areas, and people still hide their skin lesions rather than come forward for treatment and possible rejection by their community.
