World Day Against Leprosy . Opportunity to raise awareness and inform health authorities, health workers and the general population that leprosy still exists and is curable; This activity is fundamentally dedicated to people affected by this disease and it is promoted that there is no stigma or discrimination for them.
Background
On 31 January of 1954 , the French journalist Raoul Follereau ( 1903 – 1977 ), founder of the International Federation anti – leprosy , proposed to set the last Sunday of January the World Leprosy Day.
goals
The main objective of the celebration is to raise awareness about this ancient disease and remove its negative image; the date on which the healing of the Leprosy patients takes place was taken in the Gospel.
To commemorate this day, activities are carried out to make people aware of the disease, knowledge of its symptoms, diagnosis of it, measures to prevent contagion, treatment and social work to erase the negative image of the disease. On this day it is sought to establish the criteria that allow the elaboration of procedures for the prevention, control and elimination of leprosy, both in the public, social and private sectors.
Through the exchange and analysis of information, it is possible to teach and learn to develop skills and change attitudes, in order to induce behaviors to care for individual, family and collective health, achieving better education for the population. It gives way to the production and dissemination of high-impact graphic and audiovisual messages, in order to reinforce knowledge related to health and promote healthy behaviors in the population, informing about the care that leprosy patients should have with their skin , eyes, hands and feet to decrease neural damage, deformities and disability.
The activities that take place on this day in most of the countries of the world help to encourage community participation in actions to control the disease. The areas with the highest risk of transmission are identified by intensifying actions in these areas.
