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January 27: World Leprosy Day

 In Mumbai Smiles

29 JAN 1

Sunday, January 27, 2013, was World Leprosy Day, observed internationally to increase public awareness of leprosy. Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded diseases in the world. It is a chronic infectious disease which affects the skin, peripheral nerves, upper respiratory tract and the eyes.

Around 80% of the newly diagnosed cases of leprosy are to be found in Brazil and India. The disease now affects about two million people. India has waged a long and steady campaign against leprosy. While too many cases of leprosy are still detected late, resulting in many people getting access to treatment too late for it to make a difference, it is also a fact that circumstances have changed remarkably over the years.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified that between 2015 and 2020, the strategy is to eliminate the disease as a public health problem, which is defined as reaching a prevalence of less than 1 leprosy case per 10,000 population.

One of the big changes in leprosy treatment is the shift from exclusive to inclusive care. What this means is that, where leprosy patients were once separated from the rest of the community and cared for in isolation, the belief now is that they need to be rehabilitated and included in the community. So, increasingly, leprosy care initiatives are about treating patients in their homes, with their family support, so that they can continue to be a part of their community.

Over the years, as awareness about leprosy has grown, the stigma and fear associated with the disease has reduced. Patients are no longer treated as outcasts and many are able to take up jobs and contribute to society. The world at large now understands that it is treatable and curable, and there is life after leprosy.

Also read:

Opinion: Leprosy elimination is an illusion

Opinion: Leprosy — The Hidden Truth

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