Binta Alhassan Abubakar: Diagnosis gives answers and hope

At 12 years of age, Binta Alhassan Abubakar began to show signs of being affected by leprosy.

“Nobody knew what the symptoms were,” she said. “My father dismissed it as a common illness which would pass soon. After two years, the symptoms worsened and I was taken to a native medicine man who kept giving me herbal medications to take.”

The illness continued to progress for several years and Binta began to have problems with ulcers that would not heal.

“My legs and hands began to grow worse.

That was when my father took me to Chanchaga Hospital in Minna, Nigeria. Although I started receiving treatment almost immediately, the ulcers had worsened from my legs up to my knees and from my hands up to my wrists.”

Though her recovery was long, afterwards Binta travelled back to her hometown where she married her husband of 18 years.

In 2017, Binta received startup funds to begin a sheep rearing business. The family was able to buy three sheep (two females and one male). They have now raised seven sheep and sold one. With the funds from this sale they were able to pay school fees for their children, buy them books and clothing and they have been eating well.

“What brings us great joy is that the sheep was bought by a rich non- leprosy-affected man. We were glad because our sheep was accepted by others even though they knew we had leprosy,” said Binta.