Zonal Leprosy Office launches awareness campaign aiming at Leprosy free J&K

Zonal Leprosy Office Jammu, in Collaboration with NGO SUPPORT, has launched a sustained campaign aimed to make Jammu Province 100% leprosy free & eradicate social stigma about the disease in the society.

The Awareness Campaign was launched by Dr Sushma Matto, Zona; Leprosy Officer Jammu Province along with Dr Monika Kotwal BMO R S Pura & Chairperson NGO SUPPORT Dr Navneet Kour by organizing a workshop.

The Zonal Leprosy Office is working under the Directorate of Health Services Jammu, which supports the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) focusing on Zero Leprosy in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir.

In furtherance of the imitative, an Awareness Workshop was organised today at Kusth Ashram Society. During the workshop ZLO, Dr Sushma Matto, BMO R S Pura, Dr Monika Suri and Dr Navneet Kour others addressed the grievances of the inmates. Medicines & First Aid kits were also distributed among the Leprosy patients.

Later, an Awareness Campaign cum Workshop was inaugurated at Sub District Hospital R S Pura by the ZLO Dr Sushma Matto.

A large number of Medics including all ZMOs, CHOs, H.Edu, BAC, BHWs, AFs along with two each Asha workers from SUCHETGARH , RS PURA & MIRAN SAHIB blocks under R S Pura Zone attended the Workshop cum Awareness Campaign. The campaign aims at 100% leprosy eradication with the involvement of civil Society, field staff, Asha Workers & Volunteers of SUPPORT NGO.

The ZLO urged team SUPPORT NGO to take the campaign to all the districts, blocks and villages for wider community outreach through Asha workers, volunteers Panchayat institution members .

The campaign will include active case detection activities aimed at early identification of suspected cases in the community for prompt diagnosis and treatment.

The Awareness drives at the village level will be conducted every month by the Asha workers in collaboration with the Volunteers of NGO SUPPORT to educate communities, stop stigma and discrimination and find people who may be infected and link them to health care services.

Meanwhile, 42 new cases of leprosy have been identified in the first quarter of this year and provided with free treatment. Continuity of these essential healthcare services ensures that leprosy is cured and disability is prevented.

Leprosy is an age-old disease and is described in the literature of ancient civilizations. It is a chronic infectious disease which is caused by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae. The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes.