Author: Tiphaine Marilyn

In the global effort to eliminate leprosy, expert leadership plays a critical role in shaping policy, improving care, and transforming public understanding of the disease. Three influential voices Peter Waddup, Geoff Warne, and Dan Izzett represent different but complementary dimensions of this fight: service delivery, global coordination, and social justice advocacy. As Chief Executive Officer of the Lepra organization, Peter Waddup has consistently emphasized the importance of early detection, community-based care, and strengthening health systems. His work highlights how leprosy is not only a medical condition but also a development issue tied to poverty, access to healthcare, and education. Through regular updates…

For centuries, leprosy (Hansen’s disease) has been shrouded in fear and stigma. Today, living well with or beyond this ancient disease is not only possible but centered on a simple truth: with timely treatment, it is completely curable, and a fulfilling life is the expectation, not the exception. The cornerstone of health is early diagnosis and treatment. Modern multi-drug therapy (MDT), provided free worldwide by the World Health Organization, cures the infection. Starting MDT at the first signs such as pale or reddish skin patches with loss of sensation, numbness in hands or feet, or muscle weakness is crucial. It stops transmission…

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is one of the world’s oldest infectious diseases and has long been burdened by fear, stigma, and social exclusion. Although the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) in the 20th century significantly reduced its global burden, leprosy remains a public health concern in several endemic regions. Recent scientific advances are now reshaping understanding of the disease and strengthening efforts toward its control and eventual elimination.Historically, leprosy transmission was thought to occur exclusively through prolonged human-to-human contact. However, emerging research suggests a more complex reality. Studies conducted in endemic areas have detected Mycobacterium leprae DNA in soil, water,…

In the bustling communities of West Africa and rural villages across India, a silent crisis unfolds within the family unit. Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), with leprosy as a prime example, do more than cause physical symptoms; they systematically dismantle family health, stability, and economic survival. The catalyst for this devastation is often a single, preventable factor: the lack of early diagnosis. When a family member develops a slowly progressing condition like leprosy, initial signs a numb patch on the skin, unexplained muscle weakness—are frequently missed by overstretched health systems or misunderstood by communities. This diagnostic delay is catastrophic. By the…

In a decisive move against one of the nation’s most pressing women’s health threats, the South African National Department of Health officially launched its annual Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign this week. The initiative aims to protect young schoolgirls from cervical cancer, a disease that claims over 3,000 lives in the country every year. Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale underscored the critical need for the campaign, noting that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among South African women. Annually, more than 5,700 new cases are diagnosed, leading to a devastating mortality rate. The public health challenge is further…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the establishment of a new WHO Collaborating Centre dedicated to advancing food safety and healthy diets, strengthening global efforts to reduce diet-related diseases and improve nutritional wellbeing. The centre, hosted by the Research Group for Risk Benefit at the DTU National Food Institute in Denmark, was formally welcomed by WHO on 28 January 2026. WHO Collaborating Centres play a vital role in global public health by providing scientific expertise, research support, and technical guidance to WHO programmes worldwide. They form a global network of institutions that enhance WHO’s capacity to develop policies, guidelines,…

In a heartening development for Ghanaians battling life-threatening illnesses, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund has begun its pilot phase, providing much-needed financial support to critically ill patients who otherwise could not afford the high cost of care. The initiative, part of a broader effort to improve access to quality health services, has already given seven patients a renewed chance at life through full payment of their urgent medical bills. Among the beneficiaries are two infants under the age of two and a four-year-old child receiving treatment for congenital heart defects at the cardiothoracic centre of a major teaching hospital. Additional…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially revoked the United Kingdom’s measles elimination status, a stark declaration that the highly contagious virus is once again spreading freely within the population. The decision follows a significant surge in cases, with more than 1,000 confirmed infections in 2023 escalating to 3,600 suspected cases in 2024. Elimination status, first awarded to the UK in 2017 and briefly regained in 2021, signifies the absence of sustained community transmission. Its loss was widely anticipated by public health experts, who point directly to persistently low childhood vaccination rates as the root cause. To achieve the herd…

A leading Ghanaian fertility specialist has issued a stark warning, identifying alcohol consumption and environmental pollution as direct and significant threats to male fertility. Dr. Promise Sefogah, a Gynaecologist and Obstetrician Specialist, described alcohol as a major “enemy” that comprehensively damages sperm health, from its formation to its genetic integrity. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Dr. Sefogah detailed the multifaceted assault alcohol wages on male reproductive cells. “Alcohol damages to the point of affecting how normal the sperm is formed. It affects how the sperm moves, the concentration of the sperm, and also the DNA of the sperm,”…

Health authorities in Ghana are sounding the alarm on a stealthy health threat affecting thousands. High eye pressure, or Intraocular Pressure (IOP), is a leading risk factor for glaucoma a condition that can cause irreversible blindness. With an estimated 60,000 Ghanaians currently under threat from glaucoma, public health messaging is intensifying to stress that this “silent thief of sight” often provides no warning signs before permanent vision damage occurs. Intraocular Pressure is the fluid pressure inside the eye, which is essential for maintaining the eye’s shape. A delicate balance between fluid production and drainage keeps it within a normal range…