KARACHI: A charity working for years in the city and the country at large for eradication of leprosy has said every year more than 400 new leprosy cases were registered in Pakistan.

Officials said last year 413 new leprosy cases were registered and 71 of them were found deformed.

“This accounts for 17pc of all registered patients. Sindh has the greatest number of leprosy patients in Pakistan,” said Mervyn Lobo, chief executive officer, Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre, founded by the late Dr Ruth Pfau, at a press briefing marking World Leprosy Day at MALC office.

He said there were 194 cases from Sindh in 2017 which accounted for 47pc of the national figure. Only Karachi accounted for 23pc of the leprosy cases nationwide, almost half of the cases reported from Sindh.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2019