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Visit to Chhattisgarh StateToward the elimination of leprosy
The Nippon Foundation visited Chhattisgarh State in central India from February 1 to 4 to confirm local information regarding persons affected by leprosy in India.
India achieved the World Health Organization’s definition for the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem (a registered prevalence rate below 1 case per 10,000 persons) at the national level in 2005, but the number of new cases reported in 2016 was still more than 120,000 persons, and prevalence of the disease remains above 1 per 10,000 in 6 of India’s 34 states and union territories. Chhattisgarh in central India is one of these states where leprosy still presents a serious challenge.
The Nippon Foundation visited the Indra Dharam Dham Kusta Colony, where Ghasiram Bhoi, the state leader for Chhattisgarh of the Association of People Affected by Leprosy (APAL), lives. Currently 50 households, comprising 170 people, live there. Of the residents, 80 are persons affected by leprosy and all of them make their living by begging. Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, recalled previous visits to the colony and was warmly welcomed when he spoke to a gathering of these people, who have not been treated with human dignity, remarking, “It pained me greatly to learn that all of the people here affected by leprosy are begging. I pledge to make every effort to make this number zero.”
At the same time, Chhattisgarh State is implementing innovative programs to eliminate leprosy, including skin disease camps and door-to-door campaigns. A leprosy case detection campaign in September 2016, for example, paid health volunteers 250 rupees (approximately 400 yen) for each new case they identified, and 2,560 confirmed new cases were uncovered.
In addition to the central government, local governments in India have significant authority and their involvement is crucial to changing the current situation in which some persons affected by leprosy are unable to access benefits to which they are entitled, and young people are denied educational opportunities. For this reason, we met with leaders from several areas during this trip.
Ajay Chandrakar, Chhattisgarh’s Minister of Health & Family Welfare, has formulated a comprehensive plan with the creation of a coordinating committee that works alongside the government and across government departments, and the state’s efforts to identify new cases continue. Ramsheila Sahu, the state’s Minister of Women & Child Developement and Social Welfare, is also promoting proactive efforts to improve living conditions in colonies. Vagavathali Narsappa, APAL’s president, emotionally noted that through these activities, “We must make sure that the promises made by government ministers are kept. We cannot be passive; it is essential that we take a proactive approach. Chairman Sasakawa has set the course to where we are now. I ask everyone to cooperate.”
Mr. Sasakawa often uses the analogy of a motorcycle to describe the battle against leprosy. The front wheel is the medical aspect, and the rear wheel is the aspect of discrimination. The two wheels need to move in tandem for these problems to be resolved. Leprosy is a curable disease, and is less infectious than the common cold. There are therefore no grounds for discrimination, and this message needs to continue to be spread across all of India.
Contact
Communications Department
The Nippon Foundation
