World Leprosy Day Awareness Program.
World Leprosy Day is observed on the last Sunday of January each year. In India, it is observed on 30 January to coincide with the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria, Mycobacterium leprae. The disease predominantly affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Left untreated, the disease may cause progressive and permanent disabilities. Apart from the physical deformity, persons affected by leprosy also face stigmatization and discrimination. This year, the theme was ‘Beat Leprosy’. The ‘Beat Leprosy’ campaign aims to raise awareness of leprosy, highlight the challenges faced by persons affected by leprosy, and inspire action to end leprosy.
Under the aegis of the Darwin Zoological Society, PG Department of Zoology at DAV College Jalandhar, the World Leprosy Day-2024 was observed. The students from both UG and PG classes actively participated in the program. Prof. Punit Puri, Head, Department of Zoology introduced the day’s theme and briefed about seriousness of disease. He told the students to spread awareness among society to overcome the social stigma of this disease. After then Radhika student of M.Sc. Zoology Sem-II gave presentation on Leprosy and created awareness about this disease. She briefly explained the importance of early treatment, signs, prevention and treatment options. In her presentation, she described the status of Leprosy in India. India is home to around 52% of all leprosy cases worldwide. Leprosy prevalence in India has reduced from 0.69 cases per 10,000 people in 2014–15 to 0.45 cases per 10,000 people in 2021–22. Despite the fact that leprosy can affect either gender, the Global Leprosy Report from the WHO indicates that males are often affected more frequently than females, typically in a 2:1 ratio. Children under the age of 15 made up more than 6% of the new cases. She also explained the various measures taken by the Government.The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), particularly in endemic areas, emphasises both prevention and cure. In March 2016, a campaign to detect leprosy cases was started, involving house-to-house screening and patient referrals for diagnosis. Indian research helped create Multi-Drug Therapy, or MDT, which is now advised by the WHO and has resulted in shorter treatment times and higher cure rates.The government started the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign (SLAC) in 2017, which aims to spread awareness of the value of leprosy early detection and treatment.
In the last, Dr. Abhinay Thakur President, Darwin Zoological Society, Department of Zoology thanked all the members viz. Prof. Pooja Sharma, Dr. Deepak Wadhawan, Dr. Rishi Kumar, Dr. Kapila Mahajan, Prof. Pankaj Bagga and Prof. Ramandeep Kaur. He also expressed his gratitude to Prof. Punit Puri, HOD Zoology and Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Principal for providing encouragement for organizing such event in the department as well as in college.
