Leprosy, A Hidden Disease In Afghanistan

YAKAWLANG, AFGHANISTAN - OCTOBER 12: Fatima, 65, suffers from the advanced stages of leprosy at a home for the handicapped sponsored by the Helping Hands Scandinavian charity October 12, 2010 in Yakawlang, Afghanistan. Leprosy remains a largely neglected disease, especially in the rural areas of the country where little is known about it, and many suffer from the stigma and lack of knowledge that it is a treatable disease. According to WHO, leprosy is prevalent in 13 of 34 provinces in Afghanistan. Many leprosy patients live in remote areas. There are 12 centers providing leprosy control services in the country that are mainly located in the Central Highlands, the region where leprosy is highly prevalent. From 2001 to 2009, over 300 new cases were detected and fully treated. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)