Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for eradicating leprosy from the country by 2019, which is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, India for the first time, on January 30 will make a global appeal to end the stigma and discrimination against people suffering with the crippling disease which is on the increase in the country.
The appeal is an annual feature by nations. Modi is likely to make the appeal this time. last year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the “Think leprosy Now!” Campaign Global Appeal 2016 held in Tokyo.
“We have urged the Prime Minister to make the appeal as it will send a strong message to the society and encourage leprosy-affected people to come out to get treatment. We are hopeful that he will take out time from his busy schedule to make the global appeal,” said a senior official from the Union Health Ministry said.
The move follows a recent letter by WHO Goodwill Ambassador for leprosy Elimination and Chairman of Japan based Nippon Foundation, Yohei Sasakawa who while recalling Modi's visit to Japan to take a lead in making the global appeal 2017 to be made on January 30 in memory of Mahatama Gandhi.
The latest figures reveal that India bears the brunt with 60 per cent of the global case load (127,326 cases), followed by Brazil, 13 per cent (26,395 cases) and Indonesia per cent (17,202 cases). Including these three countries, 14 countries were responsible for 95 per cent of all new cases in 2015.