Health Department launches leprosy awareness campaign in Dakshina Kannada, district reports 47 cases
Mangaluru: The Health Department launched on Friday the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign, to promote early detection and treatment to the disease and also to educate people in the district about leprosy.
The campaign, which is a nationwide initiative, will continue till February 13.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, District Health Officer Dr. HR Thimmaiah has said that 47 cases of leprosy were reported in Dakshina Kannada till December in 2025-26.
He has stressed on the need for early detection and treatment of the disease as it would prevent complications prior to detection. He also stressed on creating awareness, increasing community participation in cases of early detection. “People should not neglect white or brown patches without sensation on their skin,” the DHO advised.
Dr. Thimmaiah added that people diagnosed positive would be treated with free Leprosy Multidrug Therapy (MDT). “The government also provides Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR), splints, self-care kits, multicellular rubber footwear, and reconstructive surgery to patients. People can log on to sanjeevani.opd or esanjeevani.in for free teleconsultation if they come across any symptoms of the disease,” he added.
Referring to social stigma attached to leprosy, the DHO called it a challenge and said that the Department had planned awareness programmes in rural areas in collaboration with gram panchayats to ensure that there is no discrimination of patients. “ASHA workers and staff from other departments will be trained to create awareness among the people to overcome social stigma. A door-to-door campaign will be conducted. In addition, officials will visit educational institutions to create awareness among students,” he said.
Speaking about the leprosy cases in Dakshina Kannada, Dr. Thimmaiah said that the 47 cases were reported between April and December, with 42 being diagnosed as multibacillary (MB) leprosy and five as paucibacillary leprosy. One child too has been detected with leprosy during the year, he added.
He said that the district reported 29 cases in 2020-21, 39 in 2021-22, 75 in 2022-23, 62 in 2023-24, and 43 in 2024-25. The number of cases was higher in 2022-23 as patients were not able to visit hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous years, the DHO informed.
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Boat carrying 250 people, including Rohingya and Bangladeshis, sinks in Andaman Sea
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Dhaka (AP): At least 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, were missing after a boat capsized in the Andaman Sea recently on the way to Malaysia, according to the United Nations' refugee and migration agencies.
When the boat sank and the status of any search Wednesday were unclear.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration in a joint statement said Tuesday that the trawler departed from Teknaf in the southern Bangladeshi district of Cox's Bazar carrying a large number of passengers to Malaysia.
Overcrowding, strong winds and rough seas caused the vessel to lose control and sink, the agencies said.
UNHCR and IOM said the disappearance reflected the protracted displacement of Rohingya people and the absence of durable solutions.
They said ongoing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state has made the Rohingyas' safe return to Myanmar uncertain, and limited humanitarian assistance, restricted access to education and employment in refugee camps, continue to push vulnerable Rohingya refugees to choose risky sea journeys, often based on false promises of higher wages and better opportunities abroad.
UNHCR and IOM urged the international community to strengthen funding and solidarity to ensure lifesaving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which has sheltered more than 1 million Rohingya from Myanmar.
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