On World Leprosy Day, Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, lauded the efforts made by the Rotary Club of Delhi South (RCDS), Lepra Society of India, Lepra UK and Assets Care and Reconstruction Enterprise Ltd (ACRE), and partner Rotary Clubs in alleviating the burden of leprosy in India.

In a letter to RCDS, Om Birla, Speaker of Lok Sabha, India wrote, “I laud the work being done by the Rotary Club of Delhi South and its partners in creating awareness around leprosy. It is important that people know that leprosy is curable. Only with this knowledge will the ostracization of patients end, allowing them to live a life of dignity and security. The work being done by Rotary and its partners in knowledge dissemination is vital and is aligned with the Government’s mission of eliminating Leprosy from India by 2030. I am sure that going forward, this program will continue to grow and positively impact Leprosy patients, their families, and the larger community.”

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On the partnership, Pradeep Bahri, CEO Rotary Club Alliance for Leprosy Control said, “In the past, Rotary has been a key driving force for polio elimination across the world. Rotary’s global network, infrastructure and learnings from polio can be utilized for leprosy control and elimination. We have realized that there is a lot of misinformation regarding leprosy, particularly with respect to its perceived incurability, which results in the exclusion of patients from organized society, making their plight even more deplorable.”

Mr. Mohd Shariq Malik, Head, Corporate Social Responsibility, Assets Care and Reconstruction Enterprise Ltd (ACRE) said, “It’s a privilege and an honour to be partnering with the Rotary Club of Delhi South and the LEPRA Society, for a second consecutive year, in tackling an issue of national importance. Our combined efforts are focused on strengthening the existing healthcare infrastructure so that it can identify, diagnose, and treat patients in a timely manner.”

As a part of the Leprosy Control Program, Rotary Club of Delhi South along with its partners, have installed solar panel support in two Leprosy colonies, saving families from expenditure on electricity bills.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a mildly infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The bacteria affect the skin, peripheral nerves, and the eyes and if left untreated can cause severe disabilities and blindness. Globally, there were 1,27,558 new leprosy cases detected globally in 2020-21, according to official figures from 139 countries from the 6 WHO Regions, out of which approximately 60% of cases account from India.