World Leprosy Day 2023

The final Sunday in January is designated as World Leprosy Day (WLD). The World Leprosy Day falls on January 29, 2023.

This global day offers the chance to honor those who have battled leprosy, increase public understanding of the condition, and demand an end to prejudice and stigma connected to the disease.

About World Leprosy Day:

The theme of World Leprosy Day 2023 is “Act Now. End Leprosy.” This year's theme calls attention to three key messages:

• Elimination is feasible because we have the capability and resources to halt the spread of the illness and eradicate it.
• Take immediate action: To eradicate leprosy, we must have the means and the will. Eliminate leprosy as a top priority.
• Conquer the unreached: Leprosy can be avoided and treated. Leprosy-related suffering is unnecessary.
• History: French philanthropist Raoul Follereau founded World Leprosy Day in 1954.
• The primary goal of this campaign was to increase public awareness about leprosy and to inform people about this chronic illness that is now easily cured.
• Many people around the world are ignorant of the illness, have limited access to basic healthcare, and continue to be stigmatized by it.

What is Leprosy?

• Mycobacterium leprae, a particular type of bacteria, is the cause of the chronic infectious disease leprosy.
• If neglected, the disease may result in gradual and lifelong impairments, primarily affecting the skin and peripheral nerves.
• When people come into close and repeated contact with untreated cases, the bacteria are spread through droplets from the mouth and nose.
• The bulk of newly discovered cases each year come from South-East Asia.
• More than 120 nations still experience this neglected tropical disease (NTD), and more than 200 000 new cases are recorded yearly.

Symptoms:

• The condition mostly affects the eyes, upper respiratory tract mucosa, skin, and peripheral nerves.
• Leprosy is spread through close, repeated contact with untreated cases and droplets from the lips and nose.

Treatment:

• MDT (multi drug therapy) can cure leprosy, and early intervention can reduce disability. Leprosy does not pass from parents to children, hence the disease is not inherited.

Status of Leprosy in India:

• India's status with regard to leprosy is of significant concern. India is home to around 52% of all leprosy cases worldwide.
• Leprosy prevalence in India has reduced from 0.69 cases per 10,000 people in 2014–15 to 0.45 cases per 10,000 people in 2021–22.
• Despite the fact that leprosy can affect either gender, the Global Leprosy Report from the WHO indicates that males are often affected more frequently than females, typically in a 2:1 ratio.
• Children under the age of 15 made up more than 6% of the new cases.

Step taken by the Government:

• The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), particularly in endemic areas, emphasises both prevention and cure. In March 2016, a campaign to detect leprosy cases was started, involving house-to-house screening and patient referrals for diagnosis.
• Introduction of a locally made leprosy vaccination into the NLEP.
• The National Institute of Immunology created the vaccine, dubbed Mycobacterium Indicus Pranii (MIP). Those who maintain close touch with leprosy patients will receive this vaccine as a preventative strategy.
• Indian research helped create Multi-Drug Therapy, or MDT, which is now advised by the WHO and has resulted in shorter treatment times and higher cure rates.
• The government started the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign (SLAC) in 2017, which aims to spread awareness of the value of leprosy early detection and treatment.