Port-of-Spain, 27 January 2025 (PAHO) – In recognition of World Leprosy Day on January 26, 2025, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Trinidad and Tobago Country office (TTO) initiated a Hansen's Disease public campaign and is working collaboratively with the Ministry of Health to ensure that the key messages reach the target groups.
As part of the campaign, PAHO/WHO TTO distributed informative flyers to households across South Trinidad through their mailboxes. These flyers were developed by the Ministry of Health, the Sasakawa Leprosy Initiative and PAHO/WHO.
The materials provide information about Hansen's disease, its symptoms, and the importance of early detection and treatment. The initiative will continue in targeted areas of the country, to facilitate increased awareness and education for those most in need.
Several factors justify and underscore the importance of these initiatives which are necessary due to widespread misconceptions that Hansen’s disease has been eliminated in Trinidad and Tobago. Clinical expertise in diagnosing HD has declined, and many are unaware of its symptoms or the Hansen’s Disease Clinical Unit (HDCU) of the Ministry of Health. Additionally, persistent stigma delays early detection, complicates treatment, and endangers patients' livelihoods.
The distribution of public communication materials is just one element of a series of interventions aimed at improving the management of leprosy in Trinidad and Tobago. Other initiatives are expected to be implemented later in 2025.
This overarching effort aligns with the global theme for World Leprosy Day 2025, "Unite. Act. Eliminate." emphasizing the need for collective action to eliminate leprosy and support those affected by the disease.
It is also a part of PAHO's broader Elimination Initiative, which aims to end more than 30 diseases and related conditions by 2030. According to paho.org, "The Elimination Initiative is an innovative policy that promotes an integrated, sustainable approach to accelerate progress towards elimination in the Region of the Americas. ". Leprosy is one of the neglected infectious diseases targeted under this initiative.
The campaign's expansion to other areas of the country highlights PAHO/WHO's commitment to reaching every corner of Trinidad and Tobago, ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against leprosy. This initiative is an important step towards achieving the goal of zero leprosy and ending the discrimination faced by those affected by the disease.
