Training material unveiled for ASHA workers to tackle leprosy

An organisation in associationwith the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP)authorities and the World Health Organization launched atraining material on Thursday to improve skills of ASHAworkers in tackling the Hansen's disease.

The flip chart for the Accredited Social HealthActivists was unveiled by WHO Goodwill Ambassador andrecipient of Gandhi Peace Prize Yohei Sasakawa.

Developed jointly by Sasakawa, the NLEP and WHO India,the training material is printed in Hindi, Gujarati, Oriya andBengali to help three lakh ASHA workers, Sasakawa IndiaLeprosy Foundation said in a statement.

This training package will strengthen the ASHAworkers' skill and facilitate early detection of leprosy casesand treatment, the organisation said.

Union Health and Family Welfare joint secretary RekhaShukla said the government is committed to make the countryleprosy-free.

''The NLEP is focusing on early and active detection ofleprosy cases for prevention of physical disabilities and tostop the community transmission. ASHA workers are the mainfrontline activists in this endeavour,'' she said.

WHO India will also release short online animationfilms in regional languages for ASHA workers to educate themon how to use the training material effectively.

Altogether, 1,14,451 new cases of leprosy weredetected in India in 2019-20, the statement said.

''Globally, 2,02,189 new cases of leprosy were detectedin 2019, of which South-East Asia accounted for 1,43,787,'' itadded.