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The Rhodesia Herald August 23 1930

Dr Robert Cochrane, secretary of the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association, has returned from a tour of African confident that under the present system the disease in South Africa will be eradicated from the European and coloured (non-native) population, except in a few sporadic cases within a decade or so.

He says unfortunately in the union the contagious type is the more common, which means that most lepers until they are discovered are a source of danger to the community.

Whether the early non-infective type of case exist in appreciable numbers can only be determined by prolonged field research.

Present knowledge, he says, gives support for the policy of segregation now in force.

Dr Cochrane regards the incidence of the disease among the natives more seriously. He thinks the solution to the problem lies in a proper understanding of leprosy in its relation to other epidemic disease.

Dr Cochrane, who personally pronounced nearly 500 leper patients to be free from the disease during his tour, says derivatives of chaulmoogra hold the field as remedial medicine.

Lessons for today

Leprosy is a disease that nobody knows how you catch it.

Leprosy is no longer an uncontrollable disease, it can be cured. Dapsone the drug that was discovered in the 1960 is now the drug of choice, and lepers are now treated as outpatients.

Leprosy is a disease that is dying out, sadly in Zimbabwe it is on the increase again, it is curable with the right medication.

Mutemwa Leprosy Care Centre in Mutoko cares for a number of patients both recovering and handicapped.