Vice President said that Gandhiji took keen interest in leprosy patients and leprosy work even in those days when there was no specific cure for leprosy.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said that Gandhiji’s thoughts and actions are relevant even today. He was addressing the gathering after giving away the International Gandhi Award 2017 to Dr. M.D. Gupte for his outstanding contribution to the global programme of elimination of leprosy and Dr. Atul Shah for humanitarian services to alleviate the suffering of leprosy – affected persons, organized by the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation, in Sewagram, Wardha, Maharashtra on Sunday.

The Minister for Energy and State Excise, Maharashtra, Chandrashekar Bawankule and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.The Vice President said that leprosy is a disease that has been prevalent in our country since a very long time.

He further said that lack of knowledge and treatment together with the visible deformities which leprosy caused has made this a dreaded disease. There is a lot of fear, superstition and stigma attached to leprosy, he added.

Vice President said that Gandhiji took keen interest in leprosy patients and leprosy work even in those days when there was no specific cure for leprosy. He further said that the need of the hour is to intensify our efforts towards early detection of leprosy cases, provide equitable access to appropriate treatment and provide integrated leprosy services.