World Leprosy Day is observed on the last Sunday of January. In Year 2023, World Leprosy Day was observed on 29th January.
In India, The day is celebrated every year on 30th January to mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The aim of the day is to raise awareness about leprosy.
The day was chosen as a tribute to the life of Mahatma Gandhi by the French humanitarian, Raoul Folreau, who did a lot of work with many affected individuals by leprosy.
The theme of the Day in 2023 is “Act Now : End Leprosy”.
Leprosy :
Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that still occurs in more than 120 countries with more than 200000 new cases reported every year.
It is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
It mainly affects the mucosa of the skin, nerves, upper respiratory tract and eyes.
Its infection occurs by coming close to the patient and coming in repeated contact.
Leprosy is curable with multi drug therapy (MDT). If left untreated, it can cause significant damage to the skin, nerves, organs and eyes.
