Gospel for Asia Releases Special Report on Leprosy: “We call them friends”

WILLS POINT, TX The last Sunday in January is set aside to observe World Leprosy Day. Gospel for Asia (GFA) has released a Special Reportexamining the problem of leprosy. Across the globe, leprosy charities and partners join together to raise awareness of this disease that many people believe to be extinct, when in fact around 210,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, and we believe millions more people are living undiagnosed, leaving them at risk of disabilities.


GFA’s Special Report, Leprosy: Misunderstandings and Stigma Keep It Alive discusses many misunderstandings about the disease, and what the agency is doing to befriend and serve those in afflicted in South Asia.Also known as Hansen’s Disease, leprosy is treatable if diagnosed in its early stages. If ignored, it will not go away. Rather, it can progress to the point of debilitation and disfiguration.

Caring for those who have leprosy is a particular concern for Gospel for Asia as about 60% of the world’s documented cases occur in South Asia.

The disease is no respecter of age, affecting infants to senior adults. According to the World Health Organization, “the exact mechanism of transmission of leprosy is not known.” The popular belief for centuries has been that leprosy is spread by contact which, along with the stigma of disfiguration, has contributed to the practice of isolating victims within leper colonies. Medical authorities now believe that the disease may be vector-borne.

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