# India

World Leprosy Day to raise awareness of the disease

This year, World Leprosy Day is on January 30.

Statesman News Service | New Delhi | January 29, 2022 9:55 pm

World Leprosy Day to raise awareness of the disease

Every year across the world, World Leprosy Day (WLD) is celebrated on the last Sunday of January.

This year, World Leprosy Day is on January 30. Health experts use this day as an opportunity to celebrate people who have experienced leprosy, raise awareness of the disease, and call for an end to leprosy-related stigma and discrimination.

The “United for Dignity” campaign calls for unity in honoring the dignity of people who have experienced leprosy.

The campaign honors the lived experiences of individuals who have experienced leprosy by sharing their empowering stories and advocating for mental wellbeing and the right to a dignified life free from disease-related stigma.

Dr Manohar Agnani, IAS, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,GoI and the nodal officer for the COVID-19 vaccination drive said, “The prevalence of leprosy fell below 1/10,000 population in December 2005.

It further reduced to 0.41 in 2020-2021, which means that we had reached elimination levels of leprosy in December 2005. Since then, leprosy was no longer defined as a public health problem at national level.”