Biratnagar, January 26:

Altogether 102 new cases of leprosy have been traced in Morang district in the first four months of the current fiscal year, the district public health office said today in a press conference.

Now, there are 401 leprosy patients in the district, the DPHO said while making public the data on the occasion of 54th World Leprosy Day.

Head of the DPHO Nava Raj Subba said the number of leprosy patients has decreased from 3.3 per cent in the first four months of the last fiscal year to 3.1 per cent this year.

Of the leprosy patients, eight per cent are children, four per cent disabled, 44 per cent women and 29 per cent of them had infectious leprosy, the DPHO said.

The DPHO also said the patients are being given free medical treatment.

Patients with non-infectious leprosy must undergo a regular six-month medical treatment, while the infectious leprosy patients must undergo a year’s medical treatment, it was informed.

The DPHO also said it had organised a medical camp for treating skin disease.

DPHO chief Subba said the office also felicitated Health Assistant Surendra Prasad Shah and Assistant Health Worker Laxman Bishwokarma and a woman volunteer of Baijnathpur VDC, Sabitri Rajbanshi, for their contribution towards tracing leprosy patients and initiating treatment for them.