The Stigmatization of Leprosy in India and Its Impact on Future Approaches to Elimination and Control

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jesse Thomas Jacob, Emory University; Carlos Franco-Paredes, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2008-01
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2008 Jacob, Franco-Paredes.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://www.plosntds.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0000113
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
• ISSN: 1935-2727
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: e113
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by a grant from the Global Health Institute of Emory University.
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Traditionally, India holds the unenviable position of the origin of leprosy. The disease is thought to have then spread, via trade and war, to China, Egypt, and the Middle East, and later to Europe and the Americas. From antiquity to modernity, Indian society treated leprosy singularly with respect to custom and law, a response shaped by both scientific knowledge and cultural attitudes. India's future challenges in leprosy control include multiple systems of medicine, stigma, and educational knowledge gaps. By looking through the historical window of leprosy in India, we propose that continued success in elimination and control requires a holistic approach addressing these issues.