KATHMANDU, JANUARY 29
World Leprosy Day will be observed tomorrow, calling for unity in honouring the dignity of people who have experienced leprosy. The theme of the day is 'United for Dignity'.
On this occasion, the World Health Organisation has called on countries in the South-East Asia Region, including Nepal, and across the world to be 'United for Dignity' in their quest to achieve zero leprosy infection and disease, zero leprosy-related disability, and zero stigma and discrimination.
In 2020 more than 127,000 new leprosy cases were reported globally, of which 95 per cent were reported from 23 priority countries. Around seven per cent of cases were in children and six per cent were cases of delayed diagnosis with visible deformities – or grade 2 disabilities – at the time of diagnosis.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, as many as 2,173 new cases of leprosy were detected in Nepal in the fiscal 2020-21.
Of them, 63 per cent were males and 37 per cent females.
Though this disease is not genetically transferred, a total of 101 children were also diagnosed with leprosy and had reached the hospital after suffering from physical deformities.
At least 35,000 persons have been affected by this diseases in Nepal over a period of the 11 years.
"Stigma and discrimination play a critical role in delaying diagnosis and treatment, sustaining transmission, and negatively impacting the psycho-social well-being of affected persons and their families.
Globally, up to 50 per cent of persons affected by leprosy face psychiatric morbidities such as depression, anxiety disorders and suicide attempts, highlighting the need to accelerate access to mental health services, including psychological first aid," said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO regional director for South- East Asia in a press release today.
In 2020, as many as 57 countries reported instances of discrimination due to leprosy and four countries reported more than one case of discrimination. At least 115 discriminatory laws are reported to be in place in seven countries.
Laws and regulations that facilitate or allow discrimination against persons affected by leprosy must be repealed or amended without delay.
"The new WHO Global Leprosy Strategy 2021–2030 urges all countries not only to adopt the UN Principles and Guidelines for elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy, but also to implement positive initiatives that facilitate inclusion," she said.
"It is the duty of all stakeholders to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of persons, who have experienced leprosy, to a dignified life free from disease-related stigma. Persons affected by leprosy should be encouraged and supported to form self-help groups, ideally with other persons with disabilities or facing social exclusion," Dr Kshetrapal Singh added.
The WHO has stressed the need to take initiatives to nurture, support and strengthen the capacity of regional and national community-based organisations and networks, enabling persons affected by leprosy to engage and influence decision-makers at all levels.
As per the WHO, enhancing early case-finding by tackling stigma and discrimination is especially important given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which in 2020 resulted in a 37 per cent reduction in new cases reported globally.
Amid ongoing waves of COVID-19 infection, leprosy programmes must continue to roll-out innovative approaches to reach the unreached and underserved, including community-based initiatives for active case detection and prevention through a single dose of rifampicin, online training of health workers, especially at the primary level, and increased use of digital health technologies.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 30, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
