Jashore Correspondent:
World Leprosy Day-2021 was observed in Jashore on Sunday amid festivity aiming to raise awareness among general people and make the country as a leprosy-free nation by 2030.
Jashore Civil Surgeon Office and local NGO Banchte Shekha jointly arranged a standing rally and discussion program in front of Civil Surgeon office in the morning.
Jashore Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Abu Shahin, Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Protiva Ghorai, TB & Leprosy Consultant CDC Dr Palash Kumar Dash, Jashore TB Hospital’s Medical Officer Dr Sharifa Khatun, Non-govt organization Banchte Shekha’s Project Focal Rina Das, TLMI-B Project Officer Roton Malo among others were present in the event. 
Besides, more than 12 leprosy patients from the district also attended the program.
Civil Surgeon Dr Sheikh Abu Shahin distributed blankets among the leprosy patients after the program.
Attending a discussion program, CS Dr Sheikh Abu Shahin, said “Bangladesh can be a leprosy-free nation if we jointly work to eliminate the disease from the country.”
Civil Surgeon urged health workers including leprosy-focused organizations to come forward and work together to make Bangladesh as a leprosy-free country. 
Still about 4000 fresh leprosy cases are being detected every year in Bangladesh and almost eight percent people of them suffer from leprosy-related disability, a recent data shows.
Meanwhile, with a slogan ‘#Beat Leprosy’, the National Leprosy Programme (NLP) and LTCC member organizations jointly celebrating the World Leprosy Day-2021 in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the globe.
The country observes 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.
