Awofeso N
National Tuberculosis and Leprosy, Training Centre, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Acta Leprol. 1996;10(2):89-91.
Leprosy is the commonest cause of peripheral neuropathy in the world. This feature causes gross deformities of the face and limbs of infected individuals as well as crippling disabilities involving sight, touch and manual dexterity. Such stigmata intensified the social and economic isolation of patients. Although concerted efforts by national governments and international organisations have made leprosy cease to be a medical problem in most parts of the world, leprosy still remains a "human problem": about 30% of past or present leprosy sufferers in Nigeria are disabled and/or handicapped as a result of the disease. This paper reviews the various factors contributing to leprosy stigma in Nigeria and proposes ways of minimising it.
麻风病是全球周围神经病变最常见的病因。这一特征导致受感染个体的面部和四肢出现严重畸形，以及涉及视力、触觉和手部灵活性的致残性残疾。这些耻辱印记加剧了患者的社会和经济孤立。尽管各国政府和国际组织共同努力，使麻风病在世界大部分地区不再是一个医学问题，但麻风病仍然是一个“人类问题”：在尼日利亚，约30%的过去或现在的麻风病患者因该病而致残和/或有缺陷。本文回顾了尼日利亚麻风病耻辱感的各种成因，并提出了将其降至最低的方法。
