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Knowing the early signs of leprosy allows the affected person to get treatment in time and thus avoid the worst. It is within this framework that Service Yezu Mwiza in collaboration with the NGO Action Damien organised capacity building sessions on this disease from 09 to 11 August 2021 for 180 members of the Mixed Conscientization Committees (CMC) of the communes of Giharo in Rutana Province, Nyanza-Lac in Makamba Province and Burambi in Rumonge Province.

The CMC is made up of religious leaders, administrative leaders, provincial coordinators of the National Integrated Leprosy-Tuberculosis Program (PNILT), medical directors of Provincial Health Offices (BPS), doctors heads of health districts, Holders of Health Centres (CDS), Communal Directors of Education (DCE), school headmasters; and have been chosen because they can integrate the popularization of leprosy information into their areas of responsibility.

Leprosy is known as a bacterial disease, which is a neglected tropical disease (NTD). Despite the existence of effective treatment, thousands of new cases are reported each year, making this disease the major public health problem for several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Burundi, leprosy remains an infectious disease that cripples greatly when treatment is not initiated in time. According to the PNILT, more than 20% of the patients screened each year show signs of disability: paralysis, wounds, amputation of fingers and toes or mutilation of limbs, loss of sight or even blindness.

Dr Emmanuel Irambona, the trainer of these sessions explains that the majority of the population does not know that a person can spend up to 20 years or more infecting others without suspecting that he or she is a carrier of the bacillus responsible for leprosy. "The training session was therefore more than necessary because even among these CMC members, there are among them who, told us that they though that leprosy only attacks certain families. The objective of this training was to get some leaders on these committees out of the ignorance first so that they would realize how dangerous leprosy is and thus go out to raise awareness in the community for the change of mentalities about leprosy. If everyone knew that leprosy was a curable disease and that early treatment prevented disability, leprosy elimination would be achieved in Burundi. CMCs’ contribution to awareness is therefore inevitable in order to reach as many people as possible and to put an end to leprosy and its complications", he added.

Edmond Nduwimana, who is in charge of the Action Damien project at Service Yezu Mwiza, also explains that the CMCs were set up more than three years ago and their contribution is commendable "They are actively involved in the fight against leprosy. Here we can cite the example of the headmaster of ECOFO Gatobo, Burambi commune in Rumonge province who, after following our awareness sessions, was able to identify 8 students from his school with signs of the disease and they were referred to the nearest CDS to follow the treatment. He probably saved the lives of these students who perhaps would have realised it late, which would lead to serious physical disability", he concludes, pointing out that leprosy is completely curable if treated at an early stage and that treatment is free.