World Leprosy Day 2014
Leprosy is a chronic disease caused by a bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae. Official figures show that more than 213, 000 people mainly in Asia and Africa are infected, with approximately 249, 000 new cases reported in 2008.M. leprae multiplies very slowly and the incubation period of the disease is about five years. Symptoms can take as long as 20 years to appear.
Leprosy is not highly infectious. It is transmitted via droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close and frequent contacts with untreated cases.Untreated, leprosy can cause progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Early diagnosis and treatment with multidrug therapy (MDT) remain the key elements in eliminating the disease as a public health concern.
On World Leprosy Day
2014 – Sunday 26 January – we invite you to help us transform the lives of some
of the world’s poorest and most marginalised people. This special day
will raise awareness of leprosy as a 21st century disease. Your support
will benefit our health, education and livelihood projects in the Shahdara
suburb of Delhi, India.Would your church or
group partner with us in raising awareness of this disease which, if left untreated,
can be devastatingly disabling. Leprosy is more than a physical disease
though. Stigma surrounding it, coupled with disability, sees those affected
pushed to the fringes of society. This is why we provide so much more
than medical care. A person affected by leprosy needs to be lifted from poverty
and have opportunities in each area of their life in order to achieve fullness
of life. Why not host an India-themed night to raise funds for our projects in the
Shahdara suburb of Delhi in the run up to World Leprosy Day? There is a link
below to an event poster for your church or group. Perhaps you can give thanks
for fellowship and funds raised on Sunday 26 January.
Prof. John Kurakar
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