Dailynewsun Report :
World Leprosy Day-2021 was celebrated on Sunday across the country as elsewhere in the globe with a slogan #Beat Leprosy.
The National Leprosy Programme (NLP) and Leprosy & TB Coordinating Committee (LTCC) member organizations jointly celebrating the World Leprosy Day-2021 in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the globe.
The country observed the day with a Bengali slogan ‘Sommilito Procestay, Kushtoke Kori Joy’ reads it is possible to defeat leprosy by concerted efforts.
Addressing the National Conference 2019 on Zero Leprosy Initiative by 2030 in Dhaka in 2019, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed everyone to avoid negative attitudes and stop discriminating leprosy patients and instead take initiative for their proper treatment.
“I believe that we could build a leprosy-free Bangladesh much before the target 2030, if we all work sincerely in this regard,” said the Prime Minister.
In observance of the World Leprosy Day-2021 on Sunday, a standing rally and discussion on leprosy were arranged in the morning on the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) premises in Mohakhali.
Dr Md Shamiul Islam, Director, MBDC, & Line Director-TBL & ASP, DGHS, Mohakhali, inaugurated the rally attended by Dr Md Enamul Haque, Deputy Director, MBDC, & Program Manager, NLP; Dr Md Sheikh Abdullah Hadi, former Program Manager, NLP; Mr Solomon Sumon Halder, Country Director, TLMI-B & Chairman LTCC; Dr Adnan Russel, SMO; Dr Naima Haque, SMO, NLP; including officials, staff of National Leprosy Program (NLP), LTCC partners among others.
Dr Ay Ka Jay Maung, Convenor, LTCC Steering Committee & Country Director Damien Foundation; Dr David Pahan, Country Director, Lepra Bangladesh; Dr Dipok Kumar Biswas, Medical Coordinator, Damien Foundation, Mr Nikhil Chandra Saha, Finance Director, Heed Bangladesh; Mr Thomas Singh, Project Manager Lepra Bangladesh; Mr Albert Sarkar, Project Manager, Salvation Army; Mr Jiptha Boiragee, Program Support Coordinator, TLMI-B; Masuma Parvin, Project Manager, TLMI-B among others were present in the event. 
Posters, banners & leaflets, T-shirts containing texts on leprosy awareness were distributed among the participants.
Besides program in Dhaka, civil surgeons’ offices across the country and leprosy-focused organizations arranged various event celebrating the World Leprosy Day-2021.
