India is the second most populous country in the world after China and holds the largest share of the world’s extreme poor.
A third of India’s 1.2 billion population live on less than £1 a day; a figure in stark disagreement with the country’s reputation for boasting a booming economy.
Almost 70% of the population live in rural areas meaning many communities lack sufficient health services, education and sanitation, making them more vulnerable to diseases.
India claims the majority of leprosy cases globally. Last year 63% of the world’s 214,000 newly diagnosed leprosy cases were in India and it is estimated that two million more are living with the long-term effects of the disease.
Prejudice against people with leprosy still persists in India. There are over 17 laws which discriminate against people with leprosy, such as leprosy being grounds for divorce and people visibly disabled by leprosy are prevented from travelling on trains.
We work in seven states of India including Seema Andhra and Telangana (formerly Andhra Pradesh), Jharkhand, Odisha (formerly Orissa), Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and New Delhi, some of which are the poorest and most populous states in the country.
In areas where government services are lacking, we fill the gaps so that people do not resort to seeking treatment from unqualified and unregulated village ‘doctors’ and traditional healers.
We also work in collaboration with the government, national and international organisations to ensure people have access to good quality healthcare and are not discriminated against because of diseases, disability or poverty.
You can find out more information about some of our specific projects in India by clicking the link below:
The ASPIRE project aims to combine active case finding for 5 skin NTDs together (including leprosy and lymphatic filariasis) and provide dedicated training for health workers.
One in two people affected by leprosy or lymphatic filariasis will develop depression. Samarth aims to improve the lives of the people affected by leprosy or LF with a particular focus on mental health.
Among the 11 districts of Delhi there is a high prevalence rate of leprosy which is why we've been working in the state since 1999.
The state of Bihar in India holds 16% of the global leprosy burden and the states of Telangana and Madhya Pradesh also present with high case numbers. This is why it's important that we continue to work in these states tackling neglected diseases like leprosy.
With this project we hope to improve the quality of life for people affected by leprosy and LF related disabilities and complications.
Our referral centre in Munger district India, was set up in 2005. We began running a project from the centre to provide health care services that could serve as a one stop centre for treatment and disability management.
This project in Andhra Pradesh, India aims to educate communities across the state to help reduce prejudice, and detect cases of leprosy and lymphatic filariasis.
Our project in Samastipur district of Bihar state in India, we are helping 120,000 people who are affected with lymphatic filariasis and leprosy, and living in extreme poverty.
Leprosy can cause vision impairment in a number of ways, often leading to blindness if left untreated.
