Leprosy

What is leprosy?

Leprosy is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It can affect your nerves, skin, nose lining, and even your muscles. left untreated, it can cause disfigurement and disability. But good news: there’s free medicine available to treat it. Fact: This disease has been around for thousands of years 

How does leprosy spread?

• It’s not very contagious—you need long, close contact with an untreated person to catch it.
• It spreads when someone with leprosy sneezes or coughs (but no, it’s not as fast as the flu).
• Symptoms can take years to show up—sometimes even 20 years!

What does it look like?

• Skin changes: Light patches that don’t feel pain, temperature, or touch.
• Numbness: Hands and feet feeling tingly or weak.
• Muscle weakness: Your grip feels weaker than usual.

How is leprosy treated?

• The WHO has a free cure called multidrug therapy. Medicines like dapsone and rifampin can help you beat it.

Why you should treat it early

If you ignore it, leprosy can cause serious problems: blindness, nerve damage, or even difficulty using your hands and feet. But early treatment prevents all this drama!

Take charge of your health and spread the word—Leprosy can be treated!