Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - Dermatologists, under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Dermatologists, have warned of a critical shortage of multidrug therapy for leprosy as Nigeria marks World Leprosy Day 2026.
NAD president, Prof Dasetima Altraide, expressed their
concerns in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday
in Abuja.
According to him, the shortage has lasted over two years,
leaving patients in several states without life-saving medicines.
“Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is fully curable with
WHO-recommended MDT, but regulatory and administrative delays stalled clearance
and distribution of donated drugs,” he said.
Altraide said the required Clean Report of Inspection and
Analysis certificates were not provided, preventing NAFDAC quality checks and
patient access.
“Where treatment is unavailable, cure is impossible,” he
said.
He warned that untreated leprosy causes nerve damage,
deformities and continued transmission within affected communities.
NAN reports that the 2026 theme, ‘Leprosy is curable, but
the real challenge is stigma’, highlights how treatment access reduces
discrimination.
Altraide urged urgent intervention and inter-agency
collaboration to release MDT supplies and restore nationwide access, warning
future disruptions could undermine control efforts.
Citing a 17-year Lagos study, he said essential medicines
were a public health duty, a human rights issue and a national responsibility.
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