National Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice KG Balakrishnan today said that the corporates should come forward and adopt colonies of persons affected with leprosy as part of their philanthropy measures.
He said that there was no dearth of money for philanthropy but it needs to be properly channelized.
He also mentioned that "discriminatory" provisions in the law, including those in the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, violating the rights of leprosy affected persons, needs to be removed.
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Justice Balakrishnan was addressing the concluding session of the day long National Conference on Leprosy organized by the Commission in New Delhi today.
He said that it needs to be studied as to why in some States, the incidents of leprosy were more than the others. All efforts have to be made by various stakeholders to spread awareness about the scientific facts related to the disease and break the myths attached with it.
Earlier in the day, during the inauguration ceremony, Justice Balakrishnan said that 33 States and Union Territories almost attained the level of less than one case of leprosy per 10 thousand population, but it is a cause of concern that new cases of leprosy continue to occur despite various preventive measures.
The issues of bringing the leprosy affected persons in the mainstream of society with their proper rehabilitation and financial assistance with uniform approach across the country remained a challenge.
Bhanu Paratap Sharma, Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, while addressing the inaugural session said that the issue of rehabilitation of the leprosy affected persons is a stupendous task and cannot be handled by one Ministry.
Barring Chhattisgarh, most of the States achieved the elimination targets, but the occurrence of fresh cases of leprosy is a worry. However, he said that the Centre was committed to achieving the elimination target by 2017, as set out in the 12th Five Year Plan, with the cooperation from States.
Sharma also said that all States need to appoint District Leprosy Officers along with District Leprosy Consultants. The States also need to fill up the vacant posts of para-medical workers meant for the care of leprosy affected patients.
He lauded the role of NGOs involved in the identification, treatment and facilitation of leprosy affected persons and underlined the various incentives given by the Government for such work.
