‘Purple January’ campaign reinforces the fight and seeks early diagnosis of leprosy

Manaus (AM) – The “Purple January” campaign seeks to raise awareness about leprosy and its symptoms, and combat prejudice surrounding the disease. This Tuesday (9), Manaus City Hall held the official opening of the action at the Carmen Nicolau Family Clinic, located in the North Zone of the capital, with the presence of managers from the Municipal Health Department (Semsa), representatives of organizations from the civil society partners in the action, in addition to indigenous and community leaders.

In the basic network, the campaign program began at the beginning of the month and includes the intensification of dermatological examinations and the active search for cases in Semsa Manaus health units, as well as guidance and health education actions aimed at users, including lectures , conversation circles and distribution of informative material about leprosy.

During the opening, Semsa’s Undersecretary of Health Management, Djalma Coelho, reinforced the importance of early diagnosis, pointing out that Manaus had, last year, an incidence of 4.78 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants, with 15% of new cases had the disease identified at the most advanced stage, with impairment of physical capacity.

“It is ideal for people with the disease to have an early diagnosis, as this prevents the person from having sequelae and also breaks the chain of contamination”, pointed out the undersecretary, who advises the population to pay attention to the signs of the disease, which include spots on the skin with altered sensitivity, loss of strength in the limbs, among others. “Just because a stain doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek help, look for a basic unit as soon as possible.”

For the Leprosy Control Center technician, Eunice Jacome, “Purple January” is an opportunity to remove the prejudice and stigma that characterize leprosy, reinforcing that the disease now has a cure, with treatment being offered free of charge online. public health.

“We are no longer in a time when people had to isolate or hide, today we have science on our side. Today we need the population’s partnership to overcome denial, accept the diagnosis and carry out treatment until the end”, he says.

Partnerships

The opening also included the participation of Valderiza Pedrosa, coordinator of the State Leprosy Control Program and epidemiologist at Fundação Hospitalar Alfredo da Matta (Fuham), one of Semsa’s partners in “Purple January”. She highlighted the importance of the partnership between public bodies and civil society entities to raise awareness among the population about leprosy, also reinforcing that the fight against the disease is not limited to the month of January.

“The search for cases and early diagnosis takes place all year round. Manaus has made great progress in decentralizing actions, and this is fundamental, offering the service closest to where the person lives”, highlighted the epidemiologist. She also highlighted the importance of disseminating knowledge about the disease. “The more we inform the population and health professionals, the more we will be clarifying and putting an end to discrimination and prejudice.”

Also present at the opening, the CEO of Fuham, Carlos Chirano, reinforced that Amazonas has made significant progress in controlling leprosy, being today the 17th state in case detection, having in the past ranked first in the country.

Also participating in the ceremony were the representative of the Movement for the Reintegration of People Affected by Leprosy (Morhan), Lucilene Pontes, and the president of the Manaus Municipal Health Council (CMS), counselor Elson Melo, as well as indigenous leaders from the Kokama and Tukano ethnicities, and communities.

Mobilization

As part of the “Purple January” agenda, Semsa Manaus has been promoting, since the beginning of the month, the reinforcement of the active search for cases, with the offer of dermatological examinations, medical consultations and nursing care in health units. Activities also include home visits and application of leprosy suspicion questionnaires (QSH), in locations with a higher incidence of cases.

Basic network units have also been promoting awareness and information actions for users, such as lectures, conversation circles and distribution of informative material, focusing on the signs, symptoms and treatment of leprosy.

The campaign, carried out in partnership with Fuham, CMS/Manaus and Mohran, will end on the 31st of this month, with a walk in the Colônia Antônio Aleixo neighborhood, in the East Zone.

Illness

In Manaus, according to partial data from Semsa Manaus for the year 2023, 105 new cases of leprosy were detected, of which 18 were identified as grade 2 physical disability.

An ancient disease that to this day represents a challenge to public health, leprosy is a chronic infection caused by the Hansen’s bacillus (Mycobacterium leprae) and known to affect the skin and nerves. Symptoms, which begin 2 to 7 years after contamination, include spots on the skin, generally with changes in sensitivity; reduced muscle strength; joint pain; between others.

*With information from consultancy

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