LEPROSY AND JALMA. GANDHI JAYANTI

Agra January 25

The reported come back and  rise in the incidence of leprosy, has alarmed health experts who have urged the central government to take timely appropriate  preventive steps to stop the spread of this dreaded disease which a decade ago, was thought to have been contained.

A former director of the Jalma Leprosy centre in Agra, Dr Ved Bhardwaj told TOI that recent studies had confirmed the alarming rise in leprosy cases in remote and coastal areas of India. Experts have now suggested to the union health ministry to draw up a comprehensive plan of action to tackle this new health hazard.

Bhardwaj told TOI  “ leprosy bacterium is spreading again in remotes areas of India.  Lack of  health education, body cleanliness, government mechanism interest to effected people are the causes behind. The cases are alarmingly increasing of leprosy in the remote areas as well as in the coastal region states of India.”

Officials at the Jalma centre said each year Mahatma  Gandhi’s death anniversary was observed as leprosy day to focus attention on the plight of lepers and the socioeconomic dimensions of this disease. Gandhiji himself had helped treat a renowned Sanskrit scholar Parchure Shastri.

Leprosy experts told TOI that of the total number of leprosy cases in the world, India accounted for 65 percent. 

India accounts minimum 65% leprosy cases of the world total cases of  leprosy.

The figures stated are as (source WHO data and NLEP Data)

                  2012     2013        2014        2015      2016      2017  

India      134752    126913   125785   127326 127334   135485

As per National Leprosy Eradication Programme Report 2016-17, Uttar Pradesh has detected 22,301 new cases while 22,777 (new cases) in 2015-16 same report.

It may be mentioned here that Agra’s Jalma Leprosy centre has played a pioneering role and contributed effectively to control leprosy. Not far from the Taj Mahal, the Jalma centre stands as a testimony of the friendship and love between two Asian countries, India and Japan.

The National JALMA Institute for Leprosy, Indo-Japanese friendship for serving humanity to ostracised patients, lepers. The Japanese founded JALMA centre for leprosy has done a lot of work to cure and prevention of the dreadful leprosy disease.

The first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru laid down stone of JALMA in December 1963 while inaugurated by then Vice President Dr Zakir Hussain in 1967 with first  Japanese Director Dr Matsuki Miyazaki and Dr Mitsugu Nishiura helped in formation years. Mr Nehru donated the land of 40 acres with  infrastructure over a 10 years period ended on 31^st March 1976. It was taken over by  Ministry of health and family welfare and then handed over to ICMR (Indian Council Of Medical Research) as CJIL (Central JALMA Institute of Leprosy). It was funded through Japanese donations, WHO, Govt of India.

Today, it is one of the most modern, hi-tech research centre focussing on leprosy and other mycobacterial diseases. It has successfully developed new generation immunological, epidemiological and molecular diagnostic tools and methods and evolved the mapping of TB through DNA printing which can deliver a test report in just one day against up to two weeks earlier. Through researches and investigations in several critical areas like, drug metabolism, drug resistance and leprosy, etc NJIL has built a formidable reputation.

This chronic infectitious disease is caused by a rod-shaped bacterium known as Mycobacterium leprae. It usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves. It has wide range of clinical inspections.

According to WHO, the condition is classified into two –

Pauci bacillary: Where no bacteria are detected in the skin lesions

Multi bacillary: Where there are more than five lesions on the person’s body that are positive for the presence of bacteria

Talking to TOI, “ leprosy bacterium is spreading again in remotes areas of India.  Lack of  health education, body cleanliness, government mechanism interest to effected people are the causes behind. The cases are alarmingly increasing of leprosy in the remote areas as well as in the coastal region states of India” said Dr V P Bhardwaj, Ex- Director, NJIL&OMD, Agra.

He added, there is no real vaccine to dreadening leprosy has been developed till yet.