The World Health Organization (WHO) is dispatching leprosy drugs to Nigeria after a hold-up attributed to testing issues. Nigeria experiences over 1,000 leprosy cases annually, highlighting a significant public health issue exacerbated by delays in drug availability. Affected individuals face severe health consequences, including disfiguring sores and paralysis. The Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis manufactures these drugs, which faced approval delays due to late requests from Nigeria. The shipment is expected to arrive soon, aiming to alleviate the ongoing leprosy crisis in the country.
''Before last year, my wounds were healing, but now they are worse,'' Awwal Musa told Reuters. Musa's fingers are clawed and legs discharge pus due to the lack of medicine.
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Health sources in Nigeria indicate that the country was late in submitting its request for leprosy drugs, contributing to the delay and subsequent shortage.
Leprosy is present in 12 countries worldwide, with Nigeria, Brazil, India, and Indonesia among the most impacted, reporting between 1,000 to 10,000 cases annually.
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