Hyderabad: The health of those suffering from leprosy worsened in 2020 and more than 50,000 of them did not have proper access to medicines due to the lockdown. Those who were living in secluded leprosy colonies faced a lot of difficulty as they were already socially deprived and food and other essentials took time to reach them.
After the lockdown was lifted, it has been found that the health problems for many of them have increased. There are about 1 lakh new cases of leprosy every year in India, and two lakh cases around the world. India has the highest number of cases and they require special care as they cannot be brought to institutions for fear of spread of infection.
For this reason, many of them are also treated separately in secluded areas. Palliative care is a requirement for those suffering from leprosy, and most of it has to be home-based.
Y. Sasakawa, World Health Organisation’s goodwill ambassador for leprosy elimination, explains, “They have been badly…