Abstract
Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by a low multiplying bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae, which primarily affects the skin and the extremities. Multidrug therapy (MDT) and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccinations are effective at treatment of the disease, but social misconceptions about the disease inhibit efficient health care for affected individuals. In South Korea, leprosy patients face social, economic, and political discrimination. Korean leprosy patients are isolated into Sorokdo island and face challenges such as difficulty receiving education and limited job opportunities. Leprosy cognitively, emotionally, and socially impacts patients’ lives, and represents a serious social inequality issue. To raise awareness, dispel myths about the disease, and to end patient discrimination that destroys families, we conducted case studies based on scientific journals. The paper specifically focuses on difficulties faced by Korean leprosy patients, and subsequent initiatives by the government to aid patients. To reach the WHO’s target of health and wellbeing for all by 2030, we need to educate the masses about leprosy and address relevant social inequality issues.
Highlights
Multidrug therapy (MDT) and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccinations are effective at treatment of the disease, but social misconceptions about the disease inhibit efficient health care for affected individuals
Lack of myelin production by infected Schwann cells and their destruction by host-mediated immune reactions lead to nerve damage, sensory loss, and disfiguration which are the hallmarks of leprosy
This paper focuses on the corollaries faced by Korean leprosy patients due to their physical abnormalities and demonstrates that currently, leprosy is more of a psychosocial problem than a public health problem
Summary
History and Origins of Leprosy: Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) is a chronic neurological disease caused by a pa-. Due to its exceptionally slow growth of the bacillus, which has a doubling time of 14 days, multiplying the bacteria in synthetic media seemed impossible, though metabolic activity can be detected [1]. It was only when it was discovered that the nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus, could be infected that sufficient quantities of M. leprae were obtained for biological and immunological analysis [3]. Mathematical modeling of the potential decline in leprosy incidence and prevalence, using various premises regarding the efficacy of treatment and prevention, suggests that the diseases will remain a major public health problem for at least several decades [4]. This paper focuses on the corollaries faced by Korean leprosy patients due to their physical abnormalities and demonstrates that currently, leprosy is more of a psychosocial problem than a public health problem
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