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World Leprosy Day: Governments and the international community must not abandon the sick
In a message the president of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Healthcare workers, Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski, reminds that "it is necessary to support the free distribution of medicines and necessary treatments, timely diagnosis, and consistent therapy."
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Healthcare workers has written a message on the occasion of the 59th World Day against Leprosy. The message is titled "In the Fight Against Hansen’s Disease the Commitment of All Men of Good Will in Required". The day is celebrated tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 29.
" Mycobacterium Leprae, in fact, has not as yet been eradicated, even though the official number of new cases of the infection continues to decrease and at the present time are about 200,000, according to the estimates of the World Health Organisation," the archbishop wrote. It is necessary to support the free distribution of those drugs and medicines that are required, further promote speedy diagnosis and perseverance in receiving therapies. “It is of fundamental importance, furthermore, that the work directed towards sensitising and training communities and families that run the risk of contagion be strengthened."
The president of the Pontifical Council recalls that the institutions of the Church and voluntary organizations, including the Foundation Raoul Follerau and the Knights of Malta in their efforts to help prevent the spread of the disease try to express the love of God. Their work, however, "do not exempt governments and international organisations from increasing the attention they pay to, and their work to combat, the spread of leprosy, or from their responsibilities as regards prevention, in educational and hygiene/health-care terms, and the ‘readmission’ of people who have been cured, as well as support for all the victims of infection" .