Background: There is a need for the young medical students who become future physicians to be well aware about the signs and symptoms along with management of leprosy. The present study was, therefore undertaken with the objective to assess the knowledge and attitude of medical students towards leprosy in Saint James School of Medicine, Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean). Methods:Students of all the four semesters were asked to respond to carefully structured questionnaires comprising 16 questions. Results: A high percentage of the students in all the semesters answered correctly on leprosy being an infectious disease rather than being inherited or caused by injury, and on the symptoms of leprosy, consequences of nerve damage,  and mode of  spread. Majority of the students were aware of disease being endemic in  Asia, Africa, and South America, but only a low percent of them knew about the global incidence, and the risk factors. Only a small percentage of students expressed no fear of leprosy. Conclusion: It is encouraging to record a high rate of awareness on general clinical aspects of leprosy amongst the medical students of basic sciences in SJSM, Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean). The low level of awareness on some of the psychosocial aspects of the disease emphasizes the need to create awareness amongst students of medical sciences and other disciplines so that they become well informed about the disease and show empathy for the patients

 

Keywords:Leprosy, awareness, medical students, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean