The history of leprosy.
LEPRA have produced three booklets dealing with the history of leprosy. If you would like to order a copy of the History of Leprosy, Leprosy in Britain and/or Leprosy in the Bible please complete the form below. The booklets are available for £2 each to cover the cost of production & postage.
After you click the Send Request button you will be taken directly to our secure Credit Card payment page where you can enter your Credit Card details.
Alternatively you can telephone us on (08451) 212121 or send a cheque payable to 'LEPRA' to:-
LEPRA, 28 Middleborough, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1TG.
Please remember to let us know which booklet(s) you require and enclose your return address.
There has been a fundamental shift in our thinking about strategies to interrupt the chain of transmission of leprosy and the treatment of people affected by it. This necessitates broader and bigger strategic alliances in order to reach our goal of the eradication of leprosy. The following choices have been made:
- LEPRA will be a growing organisation. We have rejected the option of continuing at our present capacity or of scaling down our operations in response to the progress towards integration.
- Leprosy and its consequences remain our central focus. We will, however, broaden the scope of our activities to maximise our impact in areas affected by leprosy. This could mean that in some programmes which we support in the future, leprosy may not be the largest element of the programme.
- We will support projects where LEPRA is actively involved and influences the decision making process. The focus of our development will not be merely as a grant-making organisation.
- In recognition of the reality of the drive towards integration, LEPRA will take the lead in the process and will seek to influence governments and agencies working to this end.
LEPRA's Key Achievements
LEPRA has published a quarterly scientific journal called Leprosy Review since 1928, aimed at contributing towards a better understanding of leprosy. This is sent free of charge to members of the medical profession working in the field who are unable to afford the subscription, and also to many medical libraries around the globe. Ten years ago, the journal came first out of a list of 17 tropical medical journals in the Science Citation Index and has maintained its high position ever since.
In its early years, LEPRA pioneered the medical treatment of leprosy patients through the use of Chaulmoogra oil and in 1931 was recognised at the International Congress in Manila as the first 'leprosy prevention organisation'.
Between 1945 and 1949 members of LEPRA's medical committee undertook field research into the use and correct dosage of Dap sone as a more effective treatment for leprosy.
In 1961, Dr Stanley Browne, a member of LEPRA's medical committee, conducted trials of a new drug Clofazimine which proved to be a powerful anti-leprosy drug and was also found to have anti-inflammatory activity. In 1963 The Children's Fund was set up to treat children on an outpatient basis. In 1964 Blantyre , Malawi is chosen as the site of a Pilot Control Project study of leprosy treatment.
Members of LEPRA's medical committee initiated research into a new antibiotic drug Rifampicin in 1972.
In 1977 LEPRA arranged the 'Heathrow Meeting' at which the vital question of Dap sone resistance was discussed.
In 1980 the f irst survey of new LEPRA Evaluation Project began in Karonga District, Northern Malawi .
In 1984, LEPRA became one of the first associations to introduce multidrug therapy (MDT), a combination of Dap sone , Clofazimine and Rifampicin, at field level for all patients with lepromatous leprosy.and in 1986 the field trial of a leprosy vaccine was begun in Malawi .
In 1989 the inaugural meeting of the LEPRA India Society was held in Hyderabad , and LEPRA's first 'own' Indian project is started there.
In 1993 new work was begun in Ceará State , Brazil .
LEPRA India cured its 100,000th patient in 1995.
The results of LEPRA's Karonga vaccine trial were published in 1996. These showed that two BCG vaccinations could provide up to 85% protection against leprosy infection.
In 1997, LEPRA transferred responsibility for the National Leprosy Control Programme in Malawi to the National Skin Diseases Programme after successfully reducing the number of registered patients from approximately 30,000 in 1965 to less than a thousand when the programme was transferred.
In 1998 new work was started in Bangladesh, Nepal and Madagascar, and LEPRA also moved into work with TB control and raising awareness of HIV/AIDS.
The state-of-the-art 'Blue Peter' Research Centre was inaugurated in 2000, and in 2002 L EPRA began a 3-year project on the molecular epidemiology of M.leprae . This study looked to further understand the causes of leprosy transmission and why some people are more susceptible to the disease than others. Also in 2002 The International HIV/AIDS Alliance chose LEPRA India to be the lead agency in HIV/AIDS protection work in Andhra Pradesh, thus increasing LEPRA's involvement with the management of this disease.
Work further expanded into China, Angola and Guatemala in 2003, and LEPRA's advocacy work broadened into a Social Rights Project co-funded by the UK Government's Civil Society Challenge Fund of the Department for International Development (DFID). 2004 - LEPRA's 80 th Anniversary brought further expansion to all areas of our work, and this is still ongoing.
Our History
In 1924 the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association was formed with the boldly stated aim "to rid the Empire of leprosy". It was set up as a medical organisation to spearhead outpatient work instead of the traditional segregatory methods and to foster research into all aspects of the disease.
The 1930s saw the start of the association with Toc H. Its founder, the Rev 'Tubby' Clayton, pioneered the concept of recruiting volunteers to work overseas, primarily in Africa, and introduced fundraising from the general public as a consistent and routine part of the Association's work.
Royal patronage has always been important to us and the reigning monarch has always been our Patron. In the 1950's King George VI became the first 'Royal' to sponsor children through the adoption scheme then in existence. This period also saw the removal of the word 'Empire' from the name and the first use of 'LEPRA'.
In the 1960s, LEPRA began operations in Malawi. In the UK television and radio appeals were a significant source of income. A documentary film on LEPRA's work in India , "The Name of the Cloud is Ignorance" won awards at the Venice Film Festival and at the XIX International Film Festival.
Overseas work expanded throughout the 1970s, supporting projects in a further 11 countries.
1980 saw the start of the Karonga Evaluation Project in northern Malawi with the objective of gathering data relating to the factors that affect the transmission and spread of leprosy. The unique and extensive epidemiological data available from this work led to the establishment of the Karonga Vaccine Trial in 1986. This proved that protection against leprosy in the Malawian population was greatly increased by two doses of BCG. Further studies are currently being carried out. The LEPRA Society of India was formed in 1989 and is now the largest element of LEPRA's overseas work, running direct programmes and providing support to both Government and local NGO programmes.
Support for state leprosy programmes in Brazil began in 1993. In 1996 LEPRA was chosen as the charity partner for the BBC's Blue Peter appeal which raised £2.8m leading to a great expansion of our work in India and Brazil, including construction of the state of the art Blue Peter Research Centre in Hyderabad, India.
In 1998 new work was started in Bangladesh, Nepal and Madagascar, and LEPRA's work also moved into the areas of TB control and raising awareness of HIV/AIDS.
We celebrated our 75th anniversary in 1999 with Her Majesty The Queen presenting prizes for the 'Quest for Dignity' art competition.
In 2001 a new regional office opened in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, and 14 Technical Support Teams were set up, enabling LEPRA to provide a better service to those affected by leprosy in the area, as well as providing new and extended support to the State Health Services. In Brazil trials of new health education kits were carried out, and in Mozambique special 'skin clinics' were set up to overcome the problem of stigma.
In 2002 the International HIV/AIDS Alliance chose LEPRA India to be the lead agency in HIV/AIDS protection work in Andhra Pradesh, thereby increasing LEPRA's involvement with the management of this disease. The 'Healthy Highway' project was set up to raise awareness of the problem among truckers and sex workers. A new partnership was also established with Sight Savers International to provide eye care and sight saving surgery in three districts of Orissa, and a new surgical unit was built. In Bangladesh work was expanded to incorporate TB into ongoing leprosy work.
Work further expanded into China, Angola and Guatemala in 2003, and LEPRA's advocacy work broadened into a Social Rights Project co-funded by the UK Government's Civil Society Challenge Fund of the Department for International Development (DFID). 2004 - LEPRA's 80th Anniversary brought further expansion to all areas of our work, and this is still ongoing.
Our Vision. A world in which the poorest and most marginalised people have equitable access to health and improved quality of life.
Our Purpose. We work to address unmet health needs of people affected by Leprosy, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other health conditions exacerbated by poverty, discrimination and stigma
Our Values
- Equity: We work to improve the health of some of the most disadvantaged people around the world
- Respect and dignity: We are a people focused organisation, working to eliminate stigma and marginalisation caused by disease and poverty
Creativity: We encourage innovation in the solutions we adopt - Efficacy and Quality: We ensure that our resources are used in the most efficient and cost effective manner and that the quality of our services is uniformly high
- Sustainability: We believe that the principal responsibility for the provision of health care rests with governments. We work to bring about structural changes which produce long lasting benefits
How we work :-
- Focus on people: We help people to change their lives in addition to addressing the effects of disease
- Provision of services: LEPRA Health in Action works directly with individuals and communities, ensuring that those most in need can access the services they require
- Catalyst, coordinator, collaborator: As well as direct service provision through local staff, we also support national and local NGOs, and work with governments, international NGOs, communities and other change agents to achieve the greatest possible impact. We support national and local government programmes both financially and technically. We collaborate with a wide range of international health and development organisations and with funding agencies
- Impact: We regularly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our interventions and make changes where appropriate
- Accountability: We ensure that our supporters, partners, counterparts and beneficiaries are informed and involved in appropriate ways
LEPRA is a medical development charity with a mission to restore health, hope and dignity to people affected by leprosy and other diseases of poverty. We currently work in 9 of the world's most deprived countries covering a population of approximately 300 million.
Our vision. A world in which the poorest and most marginalised people have equitable access to health and improved quality of life.
Who We Are 