Discourse on leprosy, routine immunisation held
Source: Chronicle News Service

Noney, February 18 2025: Leprosy Unit of District Health Society, Noney, on Tuesday observed Anti-Leprosy Day and launched the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign 2025 under the theme: "Together, Let Us Raise Awareness, Dispel Misconceptions, and Ensure That No One Affected by Leprosy is Left Behind" at Noney Primary Health Centre (PHC).

The programme was attended by National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) state programme coordinator Md Majid Ali and district leprosy officer Dr Azin Maringmei as resource persons.

Also in attendance were medical officers, ASHA workers, nurses, and ASHA facilitators.

Discourse on leprosy, routine immunisation held

A similar programme was conducted at Haochong PHC, also in Noney district, with the participatton of medical officers, nurses, ASHA workers, village authority leaders, and other healthcare professionals.

Notably, 23 cases of leprosy have been detected in Manipur, including one case each in Noney and Tamenglong districts.

Speaking at the event, Md Majid Ali emphasised that leprosy remains a growing concern in Manipur, primarily due to late detection.

He highlighted that social stigma, particularly linked to deformities caused by the disease, continues to be a formidable challenge.

Furthermore, he noted fhat leprosy predominantly affects individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The NLEP programme coordinator encouraged health workers, particularly ASHAs, who serve as frontline healthcare providers, to actively identify and report leprosy cases within their respective areas.

He also informed them about the cash incentives and recognition available for detecting cases, thereby reinforcing efforts to prevent the spread of this serious communicable disease and ultimately eradicate it from society.

On the other-hand, District Health Society, Noney, organised a district-level capacity-building and training programme on Tuesday at NG Memorial Hall, Longmai Town.

Designed for medical officers, DPMU, BPMU staff, CCHs, and CHOs, the training programme focused on the improved & inclusive routine immunisation (RI) handbook, micro-planning, AEFI, and cold chain management (e-VIN).

It featured lectures by Dr D Pao (World Health Organisation), Abdul Kasim (UNDP), GG Stephen (UNICEF), and Dr Jendum Golmei, district immunisation officer, Noney.

More than 42 healthcare workers from across Noney district participated in the programme held under the supervision of Kalingjuanliu Panmei, who is the Noney district programme manager.