Woman Leprosy Patient in Sudan

WNN Photos

Luri-Rokwe leper colony is located about 5 km from Juba town on the edge of the airport. Image: Tim McKulka/UN Photo

A lack of early treatment has caused an elderly woman and many others to have severe disfigurements.

(WNN) SUDAN: One of the 321 people in a village of 3,000 residents living with leprosy in a leper colony, founded in 1952. A small clinic that has received support from the German Leprosy Association treats those living in the colony as well as other lepers living in the surrounding area. Leprosy has been curable for decades although a lack of early treatment has led many of the elderly to have severe disfigurements. The stigma of leprosy puts the people on the margins of society where they are reliant on limited food aid and other assistance while living in makeshift shelters.

16 September 2008
Luri-Rokwe, Sudan
Image:Tim McKulka /UN Photo
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