World Leprosy Day is one of the health awareness days observed every last Sunday in January, but it is celebrated every 30th January on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This date was chosen by the French humanitarian Raoul Follereau to pay tribute to the life of Mahatma Gandhi, as he understood the importance of leprosy and looked forward to the betterment of people who are affected by this disease.
In some countries, Leprosy Day is observed on January 24th.
World Leprosy Day is celebrated with an aim to change attitudes and increase public awareness about Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, which can now be easily prevented or cured.
Theme of World Leprosy Day 2025
Every year, World Leprosy Day is celebrated with a theme to raise public awareness about this infectious disease. This year the theme of World Leprosy day 2025 is ” Towards Zero Leprosy.”
Leprosy is treatable and preventive; therefore, tell the unreached about it. It is unnecessary to suffer from leprosy.
What is leprosy?
Leprosy is one of the oldest diseases recorded in the world. It is an infectious chronic disease of the skin and the nerves, especially in the cooler parts of the body like hands, feet, and face, and if it is not treated or diagnosed quickly, then it can result in debilitating disabilities.
The mode of transmission of this disease is not known, but the belief is that it is mostly transmitted by contact between the leprosy person and a healthy person. Leprosy is curable with MDT (multidrug therapy), and if the treatment is done in the early stages, it can prevent disability.
Fact: Approx. 600 or more people are diagnosed with leprosy every day and also with the treatment. According to the statistics in 2014, 213,899 people were diagnosed, and it is also estimated that millions more are undiagnosed.
Leprosy is also known as Hansen disease, which was named after the Norwegian physician Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen, who exposed the concept of leprosy that it is a hereditary disease. He stated that this disease has a bacterial cause. From the years, people with leprosy have been stigmatized and are considered to be at the extreme part of society.
Fact: Accordingly, the majority of new leprosy cases occur in India, Indonesia, and Brazil, where the diagnoses are often delayed or limited access to health services due to fear of stigma and discrimination.
Swikriti Dandotia
