The “Real” India Part II – Leprosy and HIV

The issues surrounding the dalit communities are certainly not the only issues that a country as large as India must deal with. And it's probably not surprising that a country of over one billion people is facing an HIV problem. Leprosy, however, caught me off guard. I had no idea that leprosy even still existed. I suppose I assumed it got wiped out when the writing of the Bible was complete. But that's not the case at all; leprosy has been a huge problem in India for many, many years.

Today we were given the opportunity to visit a complex where people with both leprosy and HIV/AIDS are taken in. This place is just outside Bangalore and is called Sumanahally. It has been in existence for about 30 years, and, in that time, it has seen the cases of leprosy go down from about 50 per every 10,000 people to 2 or 3 per every 10,000 people. This decrease in cases has been a result of increased awareness and rehabilitation programs, both of which Sumanahally has played a part in.

It's really quite amazing what Sumanahally does. Through the efforts of both paid employees and volunteers from Scotland, England, France, and other countries, Sumanahally both shelters and rehabilitates leprosy and HIV/AIDS patients. There are some patients who have been at Sumanahally for years and years and years and will never be able to leave. Sumanahally takes care of them. But there are other patients for whom there is hope of a relatively normal life. Sumanahally rehabilitates them and then sends them out to the world.

For these patients, Sumanahally provides shelter and care while a patient undergoes treatment; and then, the organization provides education and training in a variety of fields so that the patient might have a chance to make it out in the real world. A patient can learn candle-making, leather work, tailoring, and screen printing, among other things. After treatment and traning, then, the patient can go back to his/her family or even out on his/her own and have a chance at succeeding in the world, despite having a disease that so many people fear.

For years and years, Sumanahally's focus has been the leprosy; their HIV/AIDS clinic is relatively new. The sad fact is that, as the leprosy numbers are going down, the HIV/AIDS numbers are going up. Sumanahally has had great success in battling leprosy, but now they are looking toward a future in which they will have to engage in a new battle against HIV/AIDS.

These are sad facts. It's disheartening to think of the vast number of people who are affected with diseases like this all over the world. But it is also heartening to know that there are organizations that are willing to help and people who are willing to give up their time and expend their energy to see that everyone, including those affected by horrible diseases, can have a chance at normal living.

I was very impressed by the work Sumanahally is doing, and I know there are other organizations all over India that are working to battle the same types of problems. At the same time, how can one not be overcome with grief when looking these issues so straight in the face? I certainly have a lot to think about...