What is
Leprosy Day, who initiated it and what inspired him to do so?
World Leprosy Day
is observed annually on the last Sunday of January. Thus, in the seven years
2017-2023, Leprosy Day will occur on January 29, 28, 27, 26, 31, 30 and 29
respectively. The goal of the day is to raise awareness of the disease and of
the right of its victims to be treated with kindness and proper medical care
rather than to ostracize them, isolate them from the healthy community and
disregard their basic human rights. When leprosy is not treated due to
ignorance and shame, it damages and disables, slowly destroying each aspect of
a person’s life. Were it not for stigma and misunderstandings about the
disease, more and more infected people would seek treatment and all healthcare
professionals would recognize its symptoms.
Leprosy day
was initiated in 1953 by the French writer, philanthropist and social reformer
Raoul Follereau (1903-1977), who became an ardent activist for the cause of the
leprosy- infected after encountering and being appalled by the total
segregation and deprivation of basic human rights suffered by these unfortunate
men, women and children. In 1975, following years dedicated to philanthropic
activities, Follereau submitted the text of the Universal Declaration of the
Rights of the Leprosy Affected Persons to the United Nations.
Follereau chose the
approximate date in January for Leprosy Day in honor of Mahatma Gandhi, leader
of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. Gandhi, who was
assassinated on January 30 1948, is renowned for his selfless efforts to assist
and support the victims who were infected by leprosy.
Here is a link
to more detailed information about Raoul Follereau and his significant
contribution to the relief and cure of leprosy affected persons.
What is
Leprosy?
Leprosy, also known as
Hansen's disease (named after Gerhard HenrikArmauer, the Norwegian physician who in 1873 first identified the bacterium
that causes the disease) is a mildly contagious disease of the skin and nerves
that, if left untreated progresses to inflict severe disability, paralysis,
blindness, damage to the bones and eventual loss of limbs and other parts of
the body.
Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen |
But it is
nowadays extinct, isn't it?
No, it is not. In 2015,
above 210,000 new cases were diagnosed, mainly in countries in which poor
hygiene of the population is widespread such as in India, Brazil, Indonesia,
Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique and other so-called "Third
World" countries. The number of persons inflicted with leprosy throughout
the world today is estimated at tens of millions.
Can
leprosy be cured?
Yes, leprosy is nowadays
a curable disease, but early detection is vital since severe damage caused by
the disease such as blindness, loss of sensation and loss of limbs cannot
generally be undone. Since 1982, a six to twelve month daily combination of
antibiotics has been used successfully as a cure for leprosy.
Leper
colonies and houses past and present
According to an article on the subject inWikipedia, leper colonies and houses became widespread in the Middle Ages,
particularly in Europe and India. Nowadays, as stated in an article about
Leprosy Day published in 2014 by TheLeprosy Mission England and Wales, (an international organization that
diagnoses, treats and offers specialist care, including reconstructive surgery,
to leprosy patients), there are still leprosy colonies in the world today, 850
of which are in India.
The island of Spinalonga, Crete- used as a leper colony from 1903 to 1957 |
Organizations for treatment of leprosy-affected persons
Infolep, an
international online platform and knowledge center on leprosy and related
subjects, has published on the Web an alphabetical list of190 international and national organizations for research, treatment and
rehabilitation of leprosy-affected persons. Among them are AIFO (Amici di Raoul Follereau) in
Italy, Lepra (an
international charity working to transform the lives of people affected by
leprosy) in the UK, ALM
(American Leprosy Missions) in the USA, Alert-India (Association for
Leprosy Education, Rehabilitation and Treatment-India) and many others in the
Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Leprosy in
ancient times
The earliest known
account of a disease that is believed to be leprosy appears in an Egyptian
Papyrus written around 1550 B.C. In Europe, leprosy was first reported in the
records of ancient Greece around 323 BC, when Alexander the Great returned with
his army from India. Later on, leprosy was recorded in Rome in 62 B.C. at the
time that Pompeii's troops returned from Asia Minor. In the Bible, the term
“leprosy” and derivatives of the term such as lepers and leprous occurs 55
times in the Old Testament and 13 times in the New Testament. However,
researchers doubt whether the term is actually about the disease as it is known
today or some other harsh skin disorders. Records indicate that the infected were
banished and isolated in order to prevent mass infection.
Some facts
about leprosy
According to the National Hansen's Disease Program(NHDP) and other sources:
·
The nine-bandedarmadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) that is widespread in Florida and much of
the Southeastern USA as well as Central and South America can carry the
bacteria that cause leprosy and infect humans.
·
Only 5% of the human
population is vulnerable to the bacteria that cause leprosy.
·
A combination of standard
drugs is very effective in curing leprosy.
·
Just a few doses of
medications suffice to make the patient noninfectious and eliminate the need to
isolate him or her from family and friends.
·
The general misconception,
even among care providers, that leprosy has been eradicated often causes a
delay in the correct diagnosis of the disease.
·
Early diagnosis prevents
nerves from being affected and turns the disease into a minor skin malady.
·
In 2015, 178 new cases of
leprosy were reported in the USA.
·
8.9% of all the new,
detected cases of leprosy in 2015 were children.
·
6.7% of all new leprosy
patients in 2015 had Grade 2 disabilities (visible disabilities, damage to
hands and feet and severe eyesight impairment), higher than previous years.
·
New patients with Grade 2
disabilities indicate late detection of leprosy and a lack of awareness of the
early signs of leprosy.
·
Proactive, early detection
and treatment of leprosy must be an international priority, to prevent leprosy
from being transmitted to children and disabilities to be developed.
Things you
can do on Leprosy Day
·
Search the Web for Leprosy
and read about it in articles published on the Web by organizations such as AIFO,
Alert-India,
ALM, Lepra or any other site that you may prefer.
·
Discuss the subject with
your friends and try to raise their awareness.
·
Consider volunteering by
contacting an organization such as one of those that are listed in the Infolepwebsite.
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