BRITISH author Victoria Hislop has urged people to stop prejudice and discrimination against people affected by leprosy.
According to a statement from UK charity Lepra, people affected by leprosy experience extreme discrimination, facing over 100 prejudicial laws worldwide, that may force them from their jobs, families and communities, leading to emotional distress and isolation.
As part of World Leprosy Day on Sunday (30) Victoria and Jimmy Innes, Lepra’s CEO give a range of radio interviews broadcast, the statement added.
"These people, ordinary people, face social exclusion not only from those who are supposed to love them, to care for them, to look out for them, but from people within their wider communities too. And this is despite the fact that leprosy is a curable disease," Lepra said.
"The perpetuation of age-old myths and a lack of accurate and reliable information about leprosy leads to unfounded fear for those people directly impacted and for those people living in close proximity."
Lepra is working in India, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe to change the lives of people affected by leprosy.
