TURA, Jan 29: To mark the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a district-level advocacy meeting on National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) at Ampati on Friday, during which a pledge was taken to make South West Garo Hills leprosy-free.
World Leprosy Day is observed internationally every year on the last Sunday of January to raise public awareness on leprosy. This date was chosen by French humanitarian, Raoul Follereau, as a tribute to the life of Mahatma Gandhi who had compassion for people afflicted with leprosy.
During the meeting, South West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ch Ramakrishna, accentuated the need for timely detection and treatment of leprosy cases.
With regard to the social stigma that leprosy brings with itself, the DC also called for the involvement of religious leaders and the need to disseminate intensive awareness on prevention as well as the source of infection.
Led by Ramakrishna, the attendees later took a pledge to individually as well as collectively work towards ending the stigma against leprosy-affected persons and to leave no stone unturned to make the district leprosy-free.
Earlier, District Leprosy Officer, Dr Lydia Marak, informed the gathering about a two-week Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign to raise awareness on leprosy with the involvement of Village Health Sanitation & Nutrition Committees.
