With India being one of the countries with a highest population in the world, estimatimated to be 1,251,695,584 ( 1.3 billion) people, it’s a pity that her people have started dying because of a deadly infection, Leprosy.

Leprosy, according to heatline.com, a website that provides health services online,  is a chronic, progressive bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. It primarily affects the nerves of the extremities, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract.
Leprosy produces skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness.

Around 58% of the total amount of new cases have been reported every year according to reports. This disease has been around for centuries. It's believed to have originated in a year around 2000BC, and spreaded through trade and war. In 1898, the Leprosy Act was enacted by the government which institutionalized leprosy victims being separated to avoid transmission and in 2005, It was announced eradicated forgetting that the low class people hadn’t acquired any treatment at all.

The disease is more in South India and a quarter of a million people have been affected. Around 1,500 of the population here are announced totally disabled thus, this has increased discrimination with in the country as the affected are seen as cursed and being chased away from their families not to affect others. Hence, the discriminated move out of their homes to search for accommodation else where.

LIMBLESS LIFE HARD
Sultani Morooth from Shantinagar, one of the leprosy colonies, narrates with a lot of sadness and pain that he got the disease around 2003 when he was 13 years old,  and so, when his mother discovered the signs of leprosy in him, she was so scared as she already knew the disease.

"Then, it was seen as a curse, my mother felt like ending her life, as she saw the world was going to be against us. I dropped out of school because teachers didn’t want me to affect others and I was also scared of being called a witch," said teary Morooth. "I remember my mother one time called me and told me that our happiness had ended because no one was going to marry me and forever I'm going to be neglected by the society."

He add that his mother never stopped crying every time she saw the limbless Morooth.

"Then one time, she suggested that we may take poison and die as a way of escaping people’s hatred but I refused. Because of too much stress, time didn’t pass long as she died. I stayed alone but right now, I wish I died with her because of the too much misery I'm passing through. Slowly by slowly I started getting lame as my legs could no longer stretch well and my fingers were becoming bigger and shorter, until when they totally disappeared and the only remaining seen part were the nails," Morooth narrated.

For many like Morooth in India, a living can only be earned through begging, where by it's even a shame in most the Indian cultures, but it remains the only 'job' left for him.

Many people don't like associating with lepers, not only in India, but world over, because the infection is highly contagious.

"I always take the public bus to the streets were I beg from but again here, passengers abuse us and start complaining to the bus driver,  though he doesn’t listen to them. Hence, I only do this to get what to eat,  as per day, I manage getting 100 rupees" the orphan says.

For Shaik Moutana, who is also a leprosy victim and a father of four children, got infected in 1967. For his case, his employer dismissed him from the job as soon as he  discovered he was to be limbless soon.

He thought I was going to bring a curse to his business and his customers run away from him," sobbing Moutana says. "Going back home, again when my wife discovered that I had leprosy, she also chased me away in for the sake of protecting herself and the children from this called 'witch disease'. So, the only option I was left with was to run from to leprosy colonies and start anew life there."

But ever since I started coming to this hospital and receiving some treatment, a lot has changed as I'm feeling far better and even fine.
Moutana adds:  "When I saw the situation getting better, I decided to go back to my boss so that I be employed again but only to deny me a chance and chased me immediately. My wife too didn’t want me back home, as per now, I see these colonies as my home and the rest of leprosy victims as my relatives."

DOCTORS SPEAK OUT

According to Dr. Anath Reddy in charge of operations concerning leprosy, leprocy is not easy control.

“I started working with the leprosy victims three years back, I made sure who ever gets this disease is treated as early as possible and that its healed in time not to spread others," Reddy says. "But at times, it's difficult to eradicate leprosy as for now the disease is eating up a big number of the population in India.”

He says that because of the ever increaing numbers she gets demoralised and at time feels like giving up. "It's not fair as the disease is still spreading hence I end up coming back. It’s like I was meant to treat these people, and so, I'm no longer counting the number of the sick, but just whole heartedly treating the victims."

He adds the disease has now made all Indians worried and are fighting so much to be eradicated and healed. Colonies have now been made for the already affected one thus per now, there are 63 leprosy colonies in existence. A big percentage have started up demonstrations being led by the Mahati Maghandi University for the government to stop the discrimination and provide help to the sick.

Also raising up posters reading: “Take MDT and eliminate leprosy” are being risen all over India. Worst of all, there is no  medicine to treat leprosy, as patients are given some pain killers and others given vaccines which makes them takes long to heal.

Accroding to Dr Reddy, the only solution for the too much pain is through asking these patients to allow a simple surgery to reduce the pain as Jaganadula Rajitah, who was getting a hand surgery, was doing.

For Dr Sirivastava who is treating Bhola Rawata, patients are advised to always at try soaking the affected parts in oil to be softened, wear spring shoes to avoid the too much pressure on legs which worsens the wounds, wearing of soft shoes as these are given to patients after treatment to avoid sandals.

The can also take the affected parts for checkup as soon as possible, to avoid the disease from spreading to other body parts. He says that they managed putting free programs especially in Bhagalpur Bihal in Mamalkha village showing how dangerous the disease is, and how It can be eradicated.

And now the disease is treated with multi-drug therapy which combines the drugs to kill pathogen and cure the victim.

This story was first run on Al Jazeera TV.