Question: World Leprosy Day is celebrated on the … Sunday in January each year.
(a) first
(b) second
(c) third
(d) last
Ans: (d)
Related Fact:
- On 29th January, 2017 observing the anti-leprosy day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a collective effort to completely eliminate the ‘treatable disease’ of leprosy from India.
- The Prime Minister said that the effort to eliminate leprosy from the country under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme is a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s vision. This programme was launched way back in 1955.
- The goal of leprosy elimination as a public health problem i.e. prevalence rate of less than 1 case per 10,000 population at national level was achieved in 2005.
- The Prime Minister mentioned that a three-pronged strategy for early detection of leprosy cases in the community was introduced in 2016 under the National Health Mission, especially in the hard-to-reach areas.
- As a result, more than 32000 cases were confirmed and were put on treatment. In addition, persons who are in close contact with the patients were also given medicine to reduce the chances of occurrence of the disease in them.
- Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves, but has a wide range of clinical manifestation
- Leprosy is a leading cause of permanent physical disability. Timely diagnosis and treatment of cases, before nerve damage has occurred, is the most effective way of preventing disability due to leprosy.
- World Leprosy Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in January each year to coincide with the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s death on 30 January 1948. (Gandhi worked tirelessly to help those afflicted with leprosy.)
- The goal for World Leprosy Day is to raise the awareness of a disease that many people believe is eliminated.
Reference:
http://nlep.nic.in/about.html
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=157753