Oke Igbala, dubbed “hill of salvation” sits in the country’s Kwara state. Abigail Olaiya was left with no choice but to go to the settlement three decades ago after her mother and father died and her siblings “neglected her”.
It was first founded by Canadian missionaries in 1943 who managed it until the 1970s.
Now it’s run by the Evangelical Church Winning All mission. The ECWA gives the facility, which is in disrepair, a grant of $4,800 to $9,600 per year.
Residents here have to pay for their medication, which most can’t afford.
She added: “Sometimes, I only make enough money to transport me to and from Ilorin, Omu-Aran and other neighbouring towns.
“When I get back home, I start to look for what to eat. Other times, I have just 50 ($0.12) or 100 naira ($0.25) left after deducting the transport fare. On such days, I buy bread.”
Britain’s final leper colony
Britain’s last leper hospital or “leper colony” was only closed down in 1984 after being sold at a low price to a housing association.
The Homes of St Giles were previously used to treat victims of the disease from around the British empire.
Describing the elusive colony in 1921, a journalist at the Times wrote: “The building known as the Homes of St Giles looks like a cottage hospital. It stands among trees a few yards from an English lane. There is nothing to indicate that it is the only remaining leper colony in Great Britain. Indeed, its very existence is unsuspected by most people.”
India this year launched its National Strategic Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy. It aims to achieve zero transmission of leprosy by 2027, three years ahead of the next Sustainable Development Goal.
