Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Nigeria has called for greater investment in the reintegration of people affected by leprosy, saying treatment alone is not enough to restore their livelihoods and dignity.
The organisation’s Media and Communication Officer, Saleh Farouq Gagarawa, made the call during an interview on Cool FM 96.9 Kano’s Midday Oasis, where he discussed leprosy, stigma, disability and life after treatment.
Gagarawa stressed that leprosy is curable and people who have completed treatment should not be discriminated against because of disabilities linked to the disease.
“Just because you see someone with a disability associated with leprosy does not mean that the person can transmit the disease,” he said.
He explained that many disabilities result from delayed diagnosis and treatment, rather than continued infection. He called for access to housing, skills, employment, education and sustainable livelihoods for people returning to their communities.
Gagarawa also urged government and private-sector empowerment programmes to deliberately include people affected by leprosy.
He raised concerns about limited data on people affected by leprosy after treatment, saying authorities need to know who has access to jobs, skills, housing and education.
He said the proposed National Leprosy Vulnerability Intelligence and Inclusion System, NLVIIS, would help identify vulnerabilities and connect people with relevant support.
Gagarawa also highlighted stigma as a major challenge, citing a woman who lost her job after returning to her community because her employers wrongly believed she could still transmit the disease.
He called for sustained public education to tackle misconceptions about leprosy and urged Nigerians to support the reintegration of affected persons.
“Treatment is not the end. We must ensure that people can live, work and participate fully in society without discrimination,” he said.
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