Christians need to be aware of Leprosy worldwide
MARKHAM, ON—With World Leprosy Day approaching in late January, the leader of a Canadian organization dedicated to helping people who suffer from the disease wants to raise awareness among Christians.
"People with leprosy are among the absolute poorest [in the world]," says Peter Derrick, the executive director of The Leprosy Mission Canada.
"They get marginalized to the fringes of society even among the poor all around the world, and as a consequence they are forgotten. This is a time when the Church can rally around them and say, 'we remember the poor—we remember the forgotten'."
Contrary to popular belief, leprosy is not an ancient disease that was eradicated a long time ago. Although a cure exists, researchers still do not know how it is transmitted.
While the number of people who have leprosy worldwide is unknown, somewhere between 500,000 and 700,000 new patients are diagnosed every year and it is estimated that there are more than three million people who currently suffer from the long-term effects of the disease, according to LeprosyMission.org.
World Leprosy Day has taken place for more than 50 years on the last Sunday of each January. Derrick and his organization urge churches to observe the event January 27 through spoken word, story and video.
"Let's pray for public health services, pray for research into how it's transmitted and pray for the communities in which those with leprosy find themselves," Derrick says. "Let people with leprosy know they are loved and welcomed even though they may be deformed."
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