Cambodia – Leprosy patients in Cambodia are stigmatized and discriminated even after their treatment

Leprosy patients, in Along Veng village, complain about the discrimination and psychological persecution they are exposed to because of their disease, despite their treatment of it. Leprosy is an ancient disease, from the middle ages and it is a contagious disease that affects the skin, mucous membranes, and nerves, causing discoloration and lumps on the skin and, in severe cases, disfigurement and deformities causing sick, especially the elderly, to being thrown outside the house, thinking that it is a curse that cannot be cured. Nowadays, Leprosy can be treated, but the stigma is still a problem, so Ciomal, a non-governmental organization, is trying hard to eradicate the disease, and according to a representative of Ciomal in Cambodia, Chann Saren, infection rates have fallen in the country after the program was implemented, the average number of registered cases annually is 100.