World Leprosy Day is observed
internationally every year on the last Sunday of January to increase the public
awareness of leprosy or Hansen's Disease. This date was chosen by French
humanitarian Raoul Follereau as a tribute to the life of Mahatma Gandhi who had
compassion for people afflicted with leprosy. The day began to be observed in
1954. Leprosy is one of the oldest recorded diseases in the world. It is an
infectious chronic disease that targets the nervous system, especially the nerves in the cooler parts of the body: the hands, feet, and face. Pope Francis has spoken in support of the observation.
No comments:
Post a Comment