LEPROSY
– SCI & TECH
News:
Global appeal 2024 to end
stigma and discrimination against persons affected by leprosy
What's
in the news?
●
The Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and
Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy will be launched at WHO
headquarters.
Key
takeaways:
●
The ceremony will be led by the Sasakawa Leprosy
(Hansen’s Disease) Initiative and hosted by WHO.
●
The Appeal is being signed by WHO
Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for
Leprosy Elimination Mr. Yohei Sasakawa.
Leprosy:
●
Leprosy is still a dreaded disease with potential risk of transmission.
●
It is an infectious bacterial disease which is caused by a bacillus Mycobacterium leprae and also known as Hansen’s disease.
Status
in India:
●
According to the World Health Organization
(WHO), leprosy is endemic in several states and union territories of India,
with the annual case detection rate of 4.56 per 10,000 population.
●
The prevalence
rate of leprosy is 0.4 per 10,000 population in the country.
●
Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar,
Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya
Pradesh, Gujarat, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu have either one or more
districts (total 82 districts) which are yet to achieve leprosy elimination
target and contributes to more than 90% cases in the country.
Transmission:
●
The disease spreads through the droplets either from the nose or mouth when
the affected person sneezes or coughs.
Incubation
and Symptoms:
●
The disease is a curable disease and treatment at the early stage can prevent any
disability.
●
It can cause a progressive and permanent
damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes if it is left untreated.
●
The symptoms include red patches on the skin, skin lesions, numbness in arms, hands, and
legs, ulcers on the soles of feet, muscle weakness and excessive weight loss.
●
The incubation period of the disease is
usually 5 years.
●
Symptoms of the disease can be seen within
1 year but it could also take 20 years or even more years to occur.
Treatment:
●
Leprosy is curable with the combination of
drugs known as Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT).
●
Multi-Drug
therapy is a combination of three drugs.
○
Clofazimine
○
Rifampicin
○
Dapsone
Government
Initiatives:
1.
National Leprosy Eradication Program:
●
National Leprosy Eradication Programme
(NLEP) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme
under the umbrella of National Health
Mission (NHM).
●
India has achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem
i.e., defined as less than 1 case per 10,000 populations, at the National
level.
●
The NLEP aims at eliminating leprosy in each of the districts by 2030.
●
Under the National Leprosy Eradication
Programme action is taken for early case detection, complete treatment of
detected cases, and to contain the onset of disease in close contacts of the
index cases (persons diagnosed with leprosy).
2.
In 2017, SPARSH Leprosy Awareness
Campaign was launched to promote awareness and address the issues of stigma
and discrimination.
3.
National Strategic Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy:
●
The Strategy focuses on achieving zero
indigenous cases by accelerating case detection activities in high endemic
districts and sustaining a strong surveillance system in low endemic districts.
●
Year
- 2023-2027.
●
It aims to achieve zero cases of leprosy by 2030.
●
Strategies
to be adopted includes
○
Acceleration of new case detection by
targeted approach.
○
Stronger surveillance systems.
○
Digitalisation.
○
Introduction of advanced tools and
techniques for early diagnosis.
○
Providing the most effective
chemoprophylaxis to all contacts of cases.
○
Introducing a potential safe and effective
vaccine.
○
Introduction of surveillance of
anti-microbial resistance and adverse drug reactions.
○
Post treatment surveillance of treated
cases and providing them care after cure.
○
Sustaining leprosy expertise and move
towards multi-disease service integration.
○
Improved treatment outcomes by
introduction of new treatment regimes and widespread awareness with impactful
behavioural change communication methods.
International
Initiatives:
1.
WHO Global Leprosy Strategy 2021-2030:
Vision:
●
Achieving the goal of zero leprosy
disease, stigma and discrimination.
Features:
●
Detecting
cases early before visible disabilities occur,
with a special focus on children as a way to reduce disabilities and reduce
transmission.
●
Targeting detection among higher risk
groups through campaigns in highly endemic areas or communities.
●
Improving
health care coverage and access for marginalized populations.
●
Leprosy Endemic countries need to include
other specific strategic interventions like
○
Screening all close contacts of persons
affected by leprosy.
○
Promoting a shorter and uniform treatment
regimen.
○
Incorporating specific interventions
against stigmatization and discrimination.
2.
World Leprosy Day:
●
Day:
January
30
●
Theme:
“Act
Now. End Leprosy”
●
Conducted
by:
WHO
●
WHO reiterates its steadfast support to
leprosy affected countries in the South-East Asia Region and across the world
to drive rapid, equitable and sustained progress towards achieving the target
of zero leprosy infection and disease among others, by 2030.