Numerous research opportunities are available at SBL. Major areas of research include microbiology, molecular biology, immunology and cell biology. SBL has two programs for graduate and postgraduate students – a two-month summer training program and a six-month internship training program.
- in the summer training program, students engage in laboratory experiments using a variety of biomedical techniques and instruments. They hone their laboratory skills, collect data, make inferences based on their results, and become familiar with the nature of the scientific inquiry. This program is ideal for students who are interested in pursuing a career in biomedical/life science.
- An internship training program focuses on molecular biology and immunological techniques as it applies to new basic scientific and medical advances. The program helps students stimulate thinking and discussion. This is done while evaluating basic and clinically oriented cellular and molecular research with application to leprosy. Students write a research summary with methodology and results, with proper discussion.
Leprosy – Social Aspects
There is an age-old stigma attached to leprosy, and because of this, society maintains negative feelings toward people affected by the disease. They are ostracised by society and live sub-human lives. They are subjected to social and legal discrimination which rob them of their human rights.
Stigma and discrimination in leprosy
Since ancient times, society has stigmatized people affected by leprosy. There is a strong feeling in the society that is infected with leprosy is shameful, and because of this, patients, even after they are cured, are not accepted in society.
Even today, when leprosy is curable, the age-old stigma attached to it has not been cured. Stigma is a reality in the lives of the people affected by leprosy, and this hampers their physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being.
Lack of knowledge and information, age-old beliefs, fear, and shame, have resulted in the stigma of leprosy. Stigma in leprosy leads to irrational behavior towards people affected by the disease. It is hurtful and leads to discriminatory practices. Many still believe leprosy results from a divine curse. People with the disease are avoided as they are seen as sinful, and those around them do not want to incur god’s wrath. Even now, leprosy strikes fear in the minds of people as a disfiguring, contagious, and incurable disease – the result of divine punishment for sins. And society continues to stigmatize and discriminate against people affected by the disease.
Religious perspectives on leprosy:
- In Hinduism, the Manu Smriti (circa 1500 BC) states that if there is leprosy in a family, one should not have any matrimonial alliances with that family.
- In Christianity, the Holy Bible has several references (especially the Book of Leviticus, chapter 13) that leprosy is a divine punishment for sins.
- Islam commands the faithful to “Flee from the ‘leper’ as you would flee from a lion,” as leprosy is a serious disease that is transmitted quickly and kills the one who catches it.
- Buddhists call leprosy a ‘karmic’ disease (A karmic disease is considered a punishment for sins in one’s past lives).
Since a cure for leprosy was not available in the past, contracting leprosy meant a life of disability and disfigurement and living in isolation and disgrace. Even educated people became victims of the misconceptions about leprosy. The classic image of a person with bandages and a disfigured body, begging for livelihood reinforces this belief of physical uncleanness and moral impurity, thus justifying ostracism and discrimination.
Social discrimination
The stigma attached to leprosy is so acute that persons affected by the disease, in many cases, are forced to leave their homes and live in isolated colonies. Even those who live within society are often excluded from participating in mainstream society. They are often ostracised and prevented from accessing community resources, like water from community wells, and are excluded from festivals and community gatherings. They are denied education, employment and often lose the freedom to marry a ‘normal’ person. Fear of stigma and discrimination stops people with leprosy from seeking medical treatment. They sometimes even face discrimination at the hands of health workers and medical practitioners who are ignorant and uninformed.
The stigma and discrimination extend to the family well. Members are treated in a similar way and not allowed to participate in society. So, many families reject the person affected by leprosy for fear of exclusion, thus leaving them without family, home, and social support networks.
Because of stigma and discrimination, people affected by leprosy often experience loss of self-esteem and dignity and feel fear, shame, hopelessness, and guilt. Leprosy, like other infectious diseases, often affects the poorest and the most marginalized communities who already have a history of being discriminated against. They have a limited capacity to defend their rights and challenge stigma.
Discrimination under the law
People affected by leprosy also face discrimination before the law in many parts of the world. We have identified 119 civil and criminal laws discriminatory towards people affected by leprosy. These laws were framed on the basis of the ‘Lepers Act, 1898’ (which was repealed by the Parliament of India on April 27, 2016). These laws continue to discriminate against people affected by leprosy. They allow leprosy as a ground for divorce, discriminate against people affected by the disease who resort to begging for livelihood, bar them from contesting elections, charge higher life insurance premiums from them, stop them from using public transport, obtain driving licenses, etc. These laws violate their human rights – like the right to participate in political life, right to marriage and family life, right to employment, right to inclusion, and right to freedom of movement. They deny the fundamental right to equality before the law, guaranteed by the Constitution of India, under Article 14. These laws are also a denial of the right to equality, guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, vide Article 7.
As a result of the advocacy done by NGOs working in the field of leprosy, the Law Commission of India studied this matter and submitted its report (Report 256 – Eliminating Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy) to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, in April 2015. This report recommends steps for rehabilitation of people affected by leprosy and has drafted legislation, titled ‘Eliminating Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy (EDPAL) Bill, 2015’ for repealing laws discriminatory towards people affected by leprosy.
Myths and facts about leprosy
We have discovered the bacterium that causes leprosy, and we have an effective cure for the disease. It is intriguing that leprosy is still riddled with myths and misconceptions.
It is high time we embraced the facts about leprosy and rejected the myths. Watch our video, Fight fear with facts – seven leprosy myths busted, to know some of the basic facts about leprosy
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