Dignitaries and others during orientation training on leprosy for DPO and CD-11 in Kohima on August 28.
Kohima, August 28 (MExN): The Department of Health & Family Welfare under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) section held a one - day orientation training on Leprosy for District Program Officer (DPO) Communicable Disease (CD-II) on August 28 at Nagaland Health Protection Society conference hall, Kohima.
The programme was graced by special guest Dr Mereninla Senlem, Principal Director, Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Nagaland Kohima.
Keynote address was given by Dr. Avile Zao, Mission Director (NHM). She stated that leprosy is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind which was often overlooked and left untreated because of stigma and discrimination “but it is now curable with proper care and with the introduction of Multi Drug Therapy(MDT).”
She mentioned that Nagaland was the first Indian state to achieve the World Health Organization's (WHO) leprosy elimination target of less than one case per 10,000 population, which it accomplished in 1998.
Now, under the National Strategy Plan (NPS) which aim to Eradicate leprosy by 2027, she urged the District Programme Officers to utilize its Para Medical staff by assigning specific work distribution to help the programme achieve its target.
The program was chaired by Dr. Ruokuohelie Rutsa, State Leprosy Officer (SLO) while vote of thanks was proposed by Bendangnaro, Senior Health Educator (Sr. HE).
