Updated Jan 30, 2021 | 08:00 IST
Leprosy is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium Leprae. It primarily affects the nerves of the extremities, the skin, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract. World Leprosy Day: Defeating leprosy is a must for India | Photo Credit: iStock Images
Did you know that leprosy, which was declared eradicated in India one-and-a-half decades ago, has re-emerged in different states with high intensity? It took years of national intervention and concerted effort to suppress the burden of leprosy. However, in the last few years, the disease has resurfaced and now India has the highest number of cases in the world, followed by Brazil and Indonesia. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year, over 200,000 such cases are detected globally and India accounts for more than half of this burden.
World Leprosy Day: India must ensure economic security for people with leprosy, says WHO goodwill ambassador
NEW DELHI: India needs to take special measures to ensure economic security for people with leprosy as situations like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have jolted the ostracised community, making them rely merely on handouts to survive, WHO goodwill ambassador against the disease Yohei Sasakawa has said.
Like always, people with leprosy have been ignored during these trying times and not many have come forward to check on their well-being, said Sasakawa, who was awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2019 for his fight against leprosy, especially in India.
Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation (SILF)
Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative, MoHFW and WHO Strengthen the Fight Against Leprosy With Launch of Flipchart for ASHA Workers
Thursday, January 28, 2021 12:30PM IST (7:00AM GMT)
To promote early detection and treatment of leprosy
in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal
WHO India to launch short online video to teach ASHAs how to effectively use the Flipchart
Flipchart to reach over 3 Lakh ASHAs
With Anti Leprosy Day on 30
th January 2021, the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination Mr. Yohei Sasakawa (Recipient Gandhi Peace Prize 2018), Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative, National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India (MoHFW), and WHO India today jointly launched a pictorial flipchart on leprosy for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).