World Leprosy Day: January 29th, 2023
Authors and institutional affiliations: Jane Frances Zalwango and Naiga Helen Nelly, Uganda Public Health Fellowship Program-Field Epidemiology Fellow Cohort 2022
Leprosy still exists! Approximately 200,000 people are diagnosed with leprosy every year, with millions more living with leprosy-related disabilities, primarily in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Every year on the last Sunday of January, the world commemorates World Leprosy Day (WLD).
This international day provides an opportunity to honor those who have suffered from leprosy, increase awareness of the disease, and advocate for an end to leprosy-related stigma and discrimination.
The theme for this year is “Act Now. End Leprosy.”
Three key messages are being emphasized: elimination is possible, act now by prioritizing leprosy elimination, and reach the unreached.
Fun fact: The last Sunday of January was chosen as the WLD by French humanitarian, Raoul Follereau as a tribute to the life of Mahatma Gandhi, who did much work with persons affected by leprosy and died at the end of January in 1948.
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