Leprosy: The Tale of Sin, Stigma & Salvation

Leprosy (Hansen's disease) has frightened humanity since the beginning of time, when it was first mentioned in India, China, and Egypt before Common era. In many regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America, Hansen's disease continues to be a serious public health issue. Leprosy was frequently linked to sin and was viewed for many ages as a punishment from God. The course of disease is unique as it didn't seem to end, but it also didn't appear to kill. Instead, it persisted for years, causing the tissues to age and the body to become malformed.

As symptoms may not appear for up to 20 years after an infection, it is easy to get and spread without being aware that you have it. Although there are effective and accessible treatments, many patients receive a diagnosis that is too late to stop leprosy-related disability. As a result, leprosy is one of the major global causes of avoidable disability.

Leprosy's notoriety was not due to the virus itself but rather to its societal stigma throughout history. Even if they had recovered and constituted no threat to public health, their social isolation has been exacerbated by the physical scars they carried in addition to their socially manufactured guilt.

In the present times, with the advent of Multidrug therapy (MDT) and overall higher standard of sanitary conditions, Leprosy is not only relatively rare, but also highly curable. Even after it is totally eradicated from the world, leprosy will continue to be the story of sin, stigma, and salvation for the human race.