MMN June Mag 2026 Online - Flipbook - Page 16
Mr Sasakawa with sta昀昀 at LLHSC
Fight against Leprosy
Contributed by Alan Manchester & the Nepal Leprosy Trust team
epal Leprosy Trust (NLT)
has been involved with
tackling leprosy in Nepal
for more than 50 years.
This ar琀椀cle outlines some
new ways in which leprosy is being tackled, and the importance of
partnerships, from local to interna琀椀onal, as the work has grown. It
is a privilege to serve among poor,
rural communi琀椀es in one of the
poorest parts of Asia, helping to
improve the lives of many precious
individuals and families. This has
taken place alongside the remarkable growth of the church in Nepal,
from 琀椀ny beginnings.
N
Leprosy
Leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) is
one of a number of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that impacts
15
people in South Asia. It a昀昀ects the
skin, nerves, hands, feet and eyes,
and can lead to numbness. This inability to feel pain o昀琀en leads to
infec琀椀ons and injuries. Leprosy is
thought to be transmi琀琀ed via droplets from the nose and mouth during prolonged close contact, but
the infec琀椀on process and disease
itself are s琀椀ll not understood fully.
Leprosy has more than physical impact. It carries s琀椀gma, which o昀琀en
means rejec琀椀on by the community
and even family, hence fear, loneliness, unemployment, poverty
and mental distress. S琀椀gma delays
people seeking medical care, which
means they develop impairments
and disability that early treatment
could have prevented. Dis昀椀gurement then results in more s琀椀gma,
so it becomes a ‘vicious cycle’.
