Nigeria leprosy: Vital drugs due in the country after year's delay

Newly diagnosed patients may have suffered irreversible damage as a result of not having the drugs.

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The country, which reports more than 2,000 new cases a year ran out of supplies partly because drugs were held up after new regulations were introduced.

The WHO said it had asked Nigeria to briefly lift its new testing policy and it expects the drugs to arrive from India on Sunday.

Leprosy is curable with a combination of different antibiotics, but if left untreated the patients' health can deteriorate with sores and nerve damage that cause deformities.

The treatment can last between six and 12 months.