Poverty inducing diseases continue to afflict India significantly, a recent World Health Organisation study has said.
Nearly 1.26 lakh cases of leprosy were reported from India, according to WHO.
Six countries – India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka are among high-burden leprosy countries in the world, reporting more than 1,000 new cases annually.
These Asian countries accounted for 60 per cent global leprosy disabilities in 2013. WHO mentioned that leprosy, one among the neglected tropical diseases, could be fatal if not treated. These diseases leave the affected population disfigured and disabled, leading to discrimination, high stigma and social isolation, pushing them further into poverty.
The WHO South-East Asia Region has reported around 10,000 cases of kala-azar every year. Nearly 147 million people are at risk of kala-azar with the disease being endemic in parts of Bangladesh, India and Nepal with sporadic cases reported from Bhutan and Thailand.