World Leprosy Day 2021: Here is the theme and history behind this day

Given that over the past year headlines have been dominated by COVID-19, it can be easy to overlook other diseases like leprosy. Many people think that leprosy is a disease of the past but according to a report on WHO’s official website, there are still somewhere around 200,000 new cases of leprosy been diagnosed worldwide each year. A few million people are still living with some kind of disability as a result of leprosy. Every year January 30 is observed as World Leprosy day by WHO. Read on to learn more about World Leprosy Day 2021 theme.

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What is leprosy?

According to the WHO, leprosy is an infectious disease of the skin and nerves which, if not diagnosed and treated quickly, results in debilitating disabilities. It is caused by a bacillus, Mycobacterium leprae. The effects of leprosy get exacerbated by the negative stigma surrounding the disease. In countries underdeveloped countries like India and Bangladesh, people are subjected to discrimination and social exclusion simply because they are, or have previously been, affected by leprosy. The WHO website states that there are still 17 laws that discriminate against people with this disease in India.

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World Leprosy Day 2021 theme

This day is observed worldwide to raise awareness of a disease that many people are extinct but in reality, it's still prevailing. The WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, Yohei Sasakawa has stated that he has witnessed first hand how people affected with Leprosy are marginalized by their communities. Many of them don’t get treated, leading to social exclusion. Persons affected by this disease continue to live in harsh social environments as many countries have outdated laws that can make leprosy the ground for even divorce. Hence, World Lepsroy Day 2021 theme is to "Beat Leprosy, End Stigma and advocate for Mental Wellbeing."

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World Leprosy Day History & Significance

World Leprosy Day is usually observed on the last Sunday in January. This day was chosen by French humanitarian Raoul Follereau in 1953 to coincide with the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's death on January 30, 1948. Every day nearly 600 more people are diagnosed with and start treatment for leprosy. In 2019 alone, a total of 202,185 new cases were detected globally. Brazil, India and Indonesia had topped the list with more than 10,000 cases each. Hence, as a race, humans are still far away from winning the battle against leprosy.

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