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Directives of The Supreme Court - Eliminating Discrimination and Promoting Social Inclusion of People Affected by Leprosy
Directives of The Supreme Court - Eliminating Discrimination and Promoting Social Inclusion of People Affected by Leprosy
Directives of The Supreme Court - Eliminating Discrimination and Promoting Social Inclusion of People Affected by Leprosy
SOCIAL INCLUSION
DIRECTIVES OF THE
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
FOR ELIMINATING
DISCRIMINATION AND
PROMOTING SOCIAL
INCLUSION OF PEOPLE
AFFECTED BY LEPROSY
INTRODUCTION
The Supreme Court of India bench led by eliminating discrimination and promoting
Chief Justice, Dipak Misra, and Justices, A.M. social inclusion of people affected by leprosy
Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud passed two (order passed on September 14, 2018).
orders directing the Central and state
governments to take steps for eliminating In the following pages, you will find a
discrimination and promoting social inclusion paraphrased version of the directives,
of people affected by leprosy . arranged as per topics.
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AWARENESS RAISING
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▪ Organise massive awareness campaigns − The content and information in the
on Anti-Leprosy Day to increase public awareness programmes should
awareness about the signs and symptoms discontinue using ‘frightening’ images
of leprosy and the fact that it is of people with leprosy-related
completely curable with Multidrug disability.
Therapy (MDT).
− Instead, use positive images of people
− Awareness should also be spread who have been cured of leprosy,
about the free availability of MDT at sharing their experiences of how they
all government healthcare facilities in have been cured and how they could
the country, the prescribed course for overcome the challenges of leprosy.
MDT treatment and all other relevant
information related to MDT.
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▪ Conduct awareness campaigns − Awareness campaigns should also
throughout the year to inform people inform that a person affected by
that treatment for leprosy is provided free leprosy can lead a normal married life,
of cost at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) can have children, can take part in
and hospitals run by NGOs. social events, and go to work or
school like anyone else.
▪ Ensure that awareness campaigns carry
the information that a person affected
by leprosy is not required to be sent to
any special clinic or hospital or
sanatorium, and need not be isolated
from the family members or the
community.
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TR E AT M E NT R E H A B I L I TAT I O N
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▪ Make all efforts to provide MCR footwear, ▪ The Central Government should
free of cost, to all people affected by consider framing separate rules for
leprosy who need them. assessing the disability quotient of
people affected by leprosy for the
▪ Consider formulating and implementing a purpose of issuing disability
scheme for rehabilitation of people certificate in exercise of the power
affected by leprosy by providing them at granted under the Rights of Persons
least a minimum assistance, preferably on with Disabilities Act, 2016 (No. 49 of
a monthly basis. 2016).
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ENDING STIGMA AND
D I S C R I M I N AT I O N
▪ Ensure that people affected by leprosy are ▪ Explore the possibility of including leprosy
not stigmatised. in the school curriculum so as to give the
correct information about the disease and
▪ Ensure that healthcare professionals, both prevent discrimination against people
at government- and private-run medical affected by the disease.
institutions do not behave in a
discriminatory manner towards people ▪ Ensure that both public and private
affected by leprosy while examining and schools do not discriminate against
treating them. children from families affected by leprosy.
▪ Organise seminars at all levels that will ▪ Undertake periodic national surveys to
serve as platforms to hear the views and determine the prevalence rate and new
experiences directly from people cured of case detection rate of leprosy.
leprosy, their families, and other
stakeholders, such as doctors, social − Publish and bring out the report of
workers, experts, NGOs and government the National Sample Survey of
officials. Leprosy conducted in 2010-11 and
subsequent thereto into the public
domain.
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▪ The Leprosy Mission Trust India
▪ CNI Bhawan
▪ 16, Pandit Pant Marg
▪ New Delhi – 110 001
▪ INDIA