Relocated Residents from the isolated island of Mazane reported that they were benefiting from the government’s decision, which granted them access to leprosy healthcare services that were previously unavailable.
Mazane, an island once inhabited by over 1,100 people, was classified as a high-risk zone by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) due to its lack of clean water, healthcare and education facilities, and its constant exposure to floods and other natural disasters.
In 2019, the government made a strategic decision to relocate the affected families to a newly constructed settlement in the Rweru sector of Bugesera District.
This community, which borders Burundi, had suffered from cases of leprosy.
According to residents, it cost them over Rwf 15,000 to travel to the nearest health facility, Rweru Health Centre, making healthcare largely inaccessible.
Elise Seburiri, a community health worker (CHW) in Mbuganzeri village, Batima cell, and also a relocated resident, stated that before the move, accessing treatment was extremely difficult.
As a result, many residents hid their infections, unintentionally spreading the disease to others.
Seburiri recalled that the first time they heard about leprosy was in 2005, but the first public screening was only conducted in 2015, revealing more cases.
“At the time, we had over 30 cases, and it was challenging to advise patients to seek medical attention because I knew how difficult it was for them to reach the facilities,” Seburiri said.
The management of leprosy has significantly improved since the relocation, as residents now live closer to Nzangwa Health Centre in Rweru.
Seburiri emphasised that the proximity of the community has facilitated door-to-door case identification and patient assessments.
“My work has become much easier because I can interact with patients daily, unlike in the past when I had to travel long distances to reach them,” she added.
Surviving Leprosy
The engagement of CHWs and the availability of leprosy healthcare services have enabled some previously neglected patients to survive the disease.
Seburiri attested that, in the past, the disease had claimed lives due to a lack of timely intervention.
Leprosy is one of the nine common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) among the 21 found in Rwanda. It is an infectious disease spread through airborne transmission in public spaces.
Symptoms can take between five and twenty years to appear and include white skin lesions and potential itching.
One survivor, Esther Byukusenge, recounted her experience. She was unaware of the disease but, after experiencing persistent skin itching, underwent screening at Nzangwa Health Centre and received medication for over a year.
“Leprosy is curable, but I cannot recall how I was infected. I believe I contracted it on the island, but due to the absence of screening services, it took too long for me to realise my condition,” Byukusenge said.
She added that although she has been cured, she still undergoes monthly check-ups to ensure her continued health.
Kizito Nshyimiyimana, a Senior Leprosy Officer in the TB and Respiratory Diseases Division at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), stated that the country is working towards completely eliminating leprosy.
Rwanda currently has a low prevalence rate of below one per cent, with at least 39 people living with the disease.
Rwanda has already achieved the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target of having no more than one case of leprosy per 10,000 people by 2030.
Presently, the country has reached 0.002 cases per 10,000 people among its population of over 13.2 million, according to the 5th National Population Census of 2024.
Nshyimiyimana highlighted that the goal is to reduce this figure to zero cases.
“Through community education, screening, and access to treatment, we believe we can achieve zero cases in the coming years,” he stated during a media tour conducted by RBC and the Rwanda NGO Forum on AIDS and Health Promotion (RNGOF).
This Thursday, Rwanda and its health promotion stakeholders will celebrate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Month, an initiative aimed at highlighting the country’s progress in eradicating these diseases.
Former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim once remarked that NTDs are not merely neglected diseases but rather diseases that afflict neglected people.
