26 January - Health

In today’s show, we heard from Professor Gail Todd – Head of Dermatology at the University of Cape Town. We spoke about Leprosy. Tomorrow is the World Leprosy Day and the theme is “Healing, Restoring, Empowering”. Leprosy mainly affects the skin and nerves and clinically appears in most of the cases as patches with discoloration and numbness of the affected area. If untreated, there can be progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Professor Todd explained more about the causes and the available treatment. And the good news is that Leprosy is a curable disease and when treated in the early stages, disability can be avoided. With minimal training, leprosy can be easily diagnosed on clinical signs alone. Professor Todd says there is a fantastic drug called Selodomide that helps leprosy but it’s very expensive so those who can help her in getting that drug can contact her via email to dermatol@uct.ac.za. For more information on Leprosy contact your nearest hospital or a dermatologist alternatively visit www.leprosymission.co.za