(Image source: ilepgeneva)
World Leprosy Day takes place on 26 January 2025. In India, World Leprosy Day is celebrated on 30 January, marking the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
“The theme for World Leprosy Day 2025 is “Unite. Act. Eliminate.“. The theme is a call to action aiming to raise awareness of leprosy, highlight the challenges faced by persons affected by leprosy, and inspire collaborative action to eliminate leprosy.
- Global Commitment (“Unite“): Eliminating leprosy requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders, including governments, healthcare providers, NGOs, communities and individuals.
- Immediate Action (“Act“): Proactive measures, including public education, early diagnosis, prevention programs, prompt treatment, and empowering persons affected by leprosy, are essential to interrupt transmission and eliminate the disease.
- A Clear Goal (“Eliminate Leprosy”): Eliminating the disease – the World Health Organizations’ global goal – is achievable with sustained commitment. Current medical interventions and collaborative efforts have brought us closer, but continued investment in diagnostics, innovative treatments, and outreach is essential.
The campaign can also leverage the momentum of World NTD Day to raise awareness of leprosy as a neglected tropical disease and garner additional support.”
Source: World Health Organization World Leprosy Day, 2025 [online resource] [accessed 20 January 2025].
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacterium. It is a preventable and treatable condition and early treatment can prevent disability. Despite this, “Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) which still occurs in more than 120 countries, with more than 200 000 new cases reported every year”.
(Source: WHO Leprosy Fact Sheet [accessed 20 January 2024].
Find out more about the impact of Leprosy and World Leprosy Day here
You can search the library’s search tool Discover for articles and books on aspects of Leprosy and related subjects. We also have a small display of books and pamphlets on Leprosy and related subjects in our library reading room:
Mukundan, H et al. Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Mycobacterial Diseases of Man and Animals. Wallingford: CABI, 2015. Print.
Ganguly Asok. Colour Atlas of Leprosy. New Delhi: Vitasta, 2008. Print.
Schwarz, Richard, and Wim Brandsma. Surgical Reconstruction & Rehabilitation in Leprosy and Other Neuropathies. Kathmandu: EKTA, 2004. Print.
Gyapong, John, and Boakye Boatin, eds. Neglected Tropical Diseases – Sub-Saharan Africa. Bern: Springer, 2016. Print.
Franco-Paredes, Carlos. Neglected Tropical Diseases – Latin America and the Carribean. Vienna: Springer, 2015. Print.
Hotez, Peter J, and American Society for Microbiology. Forgotten People, Forgotten Diseases: The Neglected Tropical Diseases and Their Impact on Global Health and Development. Second edition. Washington, DC: ASM Press, 2013. Print.
Antia, N. H, and Vanaja B Shetty. The Peripheral Nerve in Leprosy and Other Neuropathies. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1997. Print.
Shetty, K. V. Provoking Thoughts on Leprosy. Karnataka (Uliyargoli House, Post Kaup-574 106, Darshina Kannada District, Karnataka, India): Sri K. V. Shetty, 1996. Print.
Silla, Eric. People Are Not the Same: Leprosy and Identity in Twentieth-Century Mali. Oxford: James Currey, 1998. Print.
Austin, Cyril John. Central Leper Hospital, Makogai, Fiji. Suva: N.p., 1944. Print.
ILEP. How to Diagnose and Treat Leprosy. London: International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations, 2001. Print.
Itoh, Masayoshi, Paul Brand, and International Society for Rehabilitation of the Disabled. Committee on Leprosy Rehabilitation. Danger and Safety in Leprosy. New York: [International Society for Rehabilitation of the Disabled], 1965. Print.
