01480nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260001200042653000800054653002300062653000700085653001200092653002000104653001600124100001500140245002000155856006300175300001000238490000700248520099300255022001401248       2021                            d  c10/202110aHIV10aHansen’s disease10aTB10aleprosy10aquality of life10aSelf-esteem1 aMakhakhe L00aLeprosy review.  uhttps://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/5311/7047  ae1-e60 v633 a<p>Leprosy (Hansen's disease) can affect multiple organs and body structures. Skin signs are typically observed in the early phase of the disease, hence being the first identifiable signs to propel clinical suspicion. Leprosy predominantly affects the skin and peripheral nerves. The disease has been documented many centuries preceding the biblical era. Over many decades, the classification of Hansen's disease has changed as modern medical science evolved. Patients with leprosy are usually subjected to discrimination, rejection from society and can suffer from social stigma, poor quality of life (QoL), low self-esteem and permanent disfigurements. Studies have shown that leprosy has a significant negative impact on the patients' QoL. Leprosy is often not suspected by practicing clinicians because it is no longer emphasised in the medical curricula. In modern years, attention has gradually shifted from leprosy to tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).</p>
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