Ilocos Sur recorded this year the highest number of leprosy cases in the Ilocos Region and the second highest in the whole country.

This prompted the Provincial Health Team Office (PHTO), headed by Dr. Ricardo Nocido to initiate a leprosy elimination campaign (LEC) that started last August.

Dr. Barbara Ja A. Tabasan, provincial leprosy coordinator, said that the LEC is funded by the World Health Organization (WHO) with an amount of P447,000 to counter the continuous upsurge of leprosy cases in Ilocos Sur.

In conducting the massive leprosy elimination campaign, the skin clinic of the Department of Health in coordination with the Provincial Health Office, local government health units, the rural health unit staff, barangay health workers and the Foundation for the assistance of Hansenites will conduct free skin consultation in almost all the towns of the province.

Annual reports of the National Leprosy Control Program show that in 2002, Ilocos Sur had 113 recorded cases with 1.89 prevalence; in 2004, there are 83 cases with 1.35 prevalence then in the first quarter of this year, the province had already recorded 81 cases with 1.31 prevalence rates.

Dr. Tabasan therefore appealed to all Ilocos Sur residents with any kind of skin diseases to come out and seek treatment which means many patients are still around, hiding and refusing to come out for fear of being ostracized in the community.