COLOMBO – With recent statistics pointing to a rising trend in leprosy, a disease eliminated from the country in 1995, the Anti-Leprosy Campaign (ALC) in collaboration with the Alliance Development Trust (ADT) recently launched the Act2Prevent (A2P) campaign aimed at creating awareness about the once dreaded disease and improving new case detection rates with the ultimate goal of reaching the once achieved elimination targets.
Sri Lanka achieved the elimination target of less than one case of leprosy per 10,000 of the population in 1995, but due to numerous reasons around 1000 new cases are reported every year, 10% of which are reported to be among children. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized Sri Lanka as one of 23 “global priority countries” for leprosy, emphasizing the need for targeted efforts to sustain elimination status and a final push towards ending leprosy in the country.
WHO has said the higher proportion of child cases amid low case detection is especially concerning as it indicates active disease transmission in the community.
An infectious disease of the skin and nerves caused by Mycobacterium leprae, leprosy can be cured with a combination of antibiotics known as multidrug therapy (MDT). Untreated, it can cause progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Health authorities have said timely detection and treatment is the best way to prevent disabilities and other serious complications arising from the disease.
The A2P, more a call to action than a mere campaign, focuses on social media to spread awareness and seeks to equip people with information to enable early detection of the disease, with the understanding that it is curable, and treatment is freely available.
“Our goal is to ensure that no one fears this disease or victimizes those who are being treated for it anymore. But freely accepts them in society instead,” the collaborators said in a statement, calling on individuals, communities, and institutions to play an active role in reshaping the narrative surrounding leprosy.
“Act2Prevent invites everyone to be an integral part of the movement: spreading awareness, participating in the challenges set out during the campaign, becoming involved in early detection initiatives, and fostering an environment of empathy and inclusion,” they said describing the campaign as a beacon of hope, leading the nation toward a future where leprosy-related stigma and suffering are eliminated through early detection and compassionate support.
ALC is the focal point in charge of all leprosy control activities in Sri Lanka, while ADT is a Non-Governmental Organization actively involved in many socially beneficial ventures, and greatly experienced in working at the grassroots in the diverse and different districts of Sri Lanka.
-ENCL
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