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HT Correspondent
Lucknow, October 19

STATE MINISTER for Medical Health Jaivir Singh said during pre-independence period leprosy was considered a cures and in 1898 Lepers Act was passed by the colonial government to keep those infected with leprosy at an isolated place.

During post-independence period there was new awakening among the masses. Eradication of leprosy was included in teh programme of health department and in 1980 the Lepers Act was repealed, Singh said.

Singh was speaking in the national media partnership workshop organised by Nippon Foundation, WHO, Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation and IDEA India. He said still those infected with the leprosy are considered untouchable and there was a need to create awareness among the masses, he said.

WHO Goodwill Ambassador, Yohei Sasakawa said the focus of the drive against leprosy should be on three points that leprosy is curable, free treatment is available and there should be no social discrimination against the patients.

India is moving fast to achieve the target of one patient among ten thousand populations. Over 1.10 crore leprosy patients have been cured. Now the fight against social discrimination had started. There is need to make last ditch attempt to eradicate leprosy, he said. Dr PK Gopal, president of IDEA said two decades back 40 lakh leprosy cases were detected in the country. Today merely two lakh cases have been reported. The drug therapy and the effort of the government in the drive against leprosy had paid dividend.

Leprosy had divided the family and the patients are forced to live in stigma. Around 700 leprosy colonies are still existent in the country. There is need to fight the discrimination. Self-employment and pension schemes should be launched for the leprosy patients, he said.

Principal secretary medical health, Sidharth Behura said alike small pox, leprosy should be eradicated from the country. The chief medical officers and leprosy officers have been directed to continue drive against leprosy.

Other who expressed their views included Colonel A Mahge, Abhijit Joshi and Dr SD Gokhale.