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Providing succour to leprosy-affected kids
More than 36 per cent of women and 10 per cent of children in the city are affected with leprosy and are also associated with stigma, social exclusion and discrimination in the society, according to studies. Since 1924, LEPRA Society in Secunderabad has been working towards the betterment of people affected with leprosy and is still growing strong.
Secunderabad: More than 36 per cent of women and 10 per cent of children in the city are affected with leprosy and are also associated with stigma, social exclusion and discrimination in the society, according to studies. Since 1924, LEPRA Society in Secunderabad has been working towards the betterment of people affected with leprosy and is still growing strong.
As the people affected with leprosy are discriminated and the children cannot go to school if they suffer from leprosy, the LEPRA Society is running a school with 351 children in order to remove barriers of education.
The LEPRA society was started by the British under the name of British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELR) in the year 1924. After the Independence, BELR was handed over to Hindu Kusht Nivaran Sangh (HKNS) in India and in the year 1989 LEPRA Society was formed as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
Chief Executive of LEPRA Society Ashim Chowla told The Hans India that they were focused on supporting the government of India’s National Leprosy Eradication Program (NLEP) in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. He said that the main objective was to conduct leprosy control activities, education and treatment by identifying patients living in the area and treating them with multi-drug therapy (MDT).
He also said that leprosy could be cured, but the scars remain on the body till the person died.Ashim said leprosy-affected people were the primary focus of LEPRA Society and to support the integration process to provide field-based care and rehabilitation services to leprosy-affected persons. He said highest number of leprosy cases was observed in Odisha and Bihar.
Other than leprosy, the organisations also works with malaria and disabilities arising from diseases with the implementation of the governments National Anti-Malaria Programme (NAMP) and work with eyecare and prevention of needless blindness.
By Aneri Shah
