PANAJI:
Goa has been logging between 60 and 70 new leprosy cases annually making the target set by the Union Health Ministry to eradicate the physically deforming disease by 2027 an ominous task for health authorities in the State.
In 2023-24, Goa had 70 patients being treated and managed at various public health facilities in the State, according to data contained in a written reply furnished in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel.
Data available at the Directorate of Health Services in the State, meanwhile, shows that in the 2024 calendar year, Goa logged 60-odd new cases of leprosy which is contracted by a bacterial infection. Among the victims was one child.
DHS, meanwhile, had stepped up its efforts since early-February and had launched a fortnight-long 'Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign' aimed at addressing the societal stigma issues still associated with the disease.
Primary and community health centres collaborated with panchayats and urban local bodies and conducted leprosy awareness initiatives
The 'Sparsh' campaign also involved health centres engaging with departments like Urban Development, Rural Development Agency and Social Welfare among others and conducted activities for disease information, education and communication.
