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SC questions ‘leprosy-free’ tag for India
News
- Supreme Court has questioned the ‘leprosy-free’ tag for India.
Important Facts
- Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae
- It usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves. The mode of transmission of leprosy is still not known.
- India was declared leprosy-free on December 31, 2005.
- National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) is a centrally sponsored health scheme under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is considered to be the largest leprosy eradication plan in world.
Supreme Court Judgment
- India has underestimated leprosy and diverted funds meant to eliminate the curable disease for 18 long years.
- Only 543 districts of the total 642 districts in the country have achieved the World Health Organization-required prevalence rate of less than one case of leprosy for 10,000 persons.
Implications of Underestimation
- This has resulted in the integration of leprosy in general health services thereby leading to diversion of funds which would have otherwise been dedicated to eliminating leprosy.
- Patients and their families continue to suffer from leprosy and its stigma.
- They are denied their fundamental right to food.
- They are not issued BPL cards.
- They are deprived of other basic amenities.
- This results in violation of the fundamental right to equality and right to live with dignity.
Guidelines issued by court
- The court directed the government to be transparent about leprosy and conduct periodic national surveys to gauge its detection rate.
- It asked both the centre and state governments to create awareness campaigns to educate the public about the various initiatives including free availability of Multi Drug Therapy (MDT).
- It asked the government to publicize the fact the disease is curable.
- The court also banned the use of images of disfigured leprosy patients; instead it called for the use of “positive” photographs of those cured of leprosy in the campaigns.
- It directed the government to ensure that leprosy patients do not face discrimination in hospitals and schools.
- It asked for leprosy patients to be provided with BPL cards which would secure their right of food.
