Skip to content

Health

World Leprosy Day ~ 27th January 2013

by Michael Evans 27 Jan 2013
World Leprosy Day ~ 27th January 2013

World Leprosy Day; Credit: © American Leprosy Missions

Leprosy, or more properly Hansen's disease, is one of the oldest recorded diseases in the world and has affected humanity for more than 4,000 years. It is an infectious chronic disease that targets the nervous system, especially the nerves of the cooler parts of the body such as the hands, feet and face.

Skin lesions are the primary external sign and if it is left untreated the disease can be progressive and cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.

The old stories of body parts falling off as a result of the disease are something of a myth, because what actually happens is that secondary infections can cause tissue loss and result in fingers and toes becoming shortened and deformed as cartilage is absorbed into the body.

Although it is now known to be a bacterial disease, it was traditionally thought to be highly contagious or even hereditary and from earliest times people suffering from the disease were required to wear special clothing and carry a bell or a wooden clapper to warn other people as they approached.

Sufferers were prohibited from visiting public places and forced to live in segregated colonies. Bible stories tell of lepers begging outside the gates of towns.

There was scant support for those suffering from the disease, with no clear idea of its causes and no known effective treatment. At various times blood was used, either as a beverage or as a bath. This included the blood of children, dogs, lambs or even blood from dead bodies. Cobra venom, bee stings and the excreta of climbing fish were also tried along with the administration of arsenic and mercury, but all to no avail. Isolation seemed to be the only answer.

Early examples of support came from Christian missionaries. A prominent example was Father Damien of Molokai. Now venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Damien was a Belgian-born priest who at the age of 33 went to work with a colony of 800 lepers on the island of Molokai, in what was then the Kingdom of Hawaii.

During his 16 years in Molokai, where he worked as pastor, medic, advisor and guardian, he was tireless in his efforts to make improvements to the colony and to bring greater respect for the dignity of those who were suffering from the disease.

11 years after his arrival, he scalded his foot and when he felt no pain Damien realised that he had succumbed to the disease himself, but he continued to work in the colony until a month before his death in 1889 at the age of 49. The work of Father Damien and his achievements became a worldwide inspiration for those who were fighting for plight of those suffering from the disease, but there was still no known cure.

In fact in 1873 the Norwegian physician Gerhard Hansen had discovered the causes of the disease and from then on leprosy became known as Hansen's disease. Gradually more information was gathered, which led to greater understanding of the disease and beginnings of the development of treatment. For instance, it is now known that 95% of the population have a natural immunity to leprosy.

By the mid-1930s new treatments were showing signs of success and by the early 1940s the development of the drug, Dapsone, was an important milestone, but the stigma of the disease still remained.

A great international figure in the fight to raise leprosy awareness was the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. Traditionally leprosy had been a major problem in India, with sufferers being treated as complete outcasts. Before his assassination on 30thJanuary 1948, Gandhi always went out of his way to befriend these people, not just in India, but in other countries also.

It was the French writer Raoul Follereau who came up with the suggestion of a World Leprosy Day. For many years he was a passionate worker on behalf of people suffering from the disease and during his 32 world tours he claimed to have visited every leprosarium in the world.

In September 1952, in a petition to the United Nations, Raoul Follereau requested that all member states should insist that persons affected by leprosy should be entitled to their rights on an equal basis with all other citizens and should enjoy the same protection from the law.

It was decided in 1952 that a World Leprosy Day should be observed each year to coincide with the Sunday closest to the date of Gandhi's assassination and the 60th date of this observance will be 27th January 2013.

Things have come a long way in the last 60 years. In 1985, 122 countries throughout the world viewed leprosy as being a major public health issue, but the introduction of Multi Drug Therapy in the form of a blister pack has since revolutionised leprosy treatment. Much of the support for this has come from The World Health Organisation (WHO).

In 2011 official reports received from 130 countries indicated that there were now 192,264 cases of leprosy in the world and although new cases continue to be detected each year, this annual number continues to fall. In most countries where the disease was previously highly endemic, great strides have been made towards its elimination.

A crucial factor is to encourage patients and their families to come forward and receive early treatment, since this is the most effective way to prevent disabilities. Historically these groups have been ostracised from their communities and information campaigns are important both to improve understanding of the disease among the larger community and to prevent further transmission.

The ultimate aim is naturally to achieve worldwide elimination of the disease and this is universally considered to be achievable. In 2013 the 60th World Leprosy Day will give particular emphasis to those under-served and marginalized communities that are most at risk from leprosy - those who are often the poorest of the poor.


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping