Leprosy successfully eradicated in Vietnam
Health Minister Do Nguyen Phuong yesterday, March 6, declared that leprosy had been eradicated nationwide in accordance with the criteria set by the World Health Organisation, WHO.
"By the end of 2000, all provinces and cities across the country had achieved the target of eradicating leprosy under WHO's criteria," Mr Phuong said.
Addressing a three-day conference to review Vietnam's 1996-2000 anti-leprosy programme, which opened in Hanoi on March 6, the minister said: "The rate of leprosy carriers was reduced from 0.6/10,000 people in 1996 to 0.23/10,000 people last year."
"However," he stressed, "Vietnam has between 2,000-2,500 people suffering from this infectious disease each year, and between 20-25% of them are crippled by the disease."
He added: "Vietnam will do its utmost to reduce the rate of leprosy carriers to below 1/50,000 people and that of those crippled to below 15% between now and the year 2005."
"Diverse measures will be taken to achieve these targets, including anti-leprosy social efforts, preferential budget allocations for high-risk regions, regular medical check-up and treatment and functional rehabilitation," the minister said. (VNA)
