Tamil Nadu has come a long way in the prevention and control of leprosy: the prevalence rate per 10,000 population was 0.30 during 2022-23. Efforts at leprosy elimination in the State were initiated decades ago when the prevalence of the disease and the stigma surrounding it were high.
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October 2, 2023 marked the 114th birth anniversary of an individual who had made consistent efforts in leprosy care — T.N. Jagadisan. He not only shared his birthday with Mahatma Gandhi but was also inspired by his ideals and was closely associated with him. Information from The Hindu archives and that collated by Professor Jagadisan’s grandson Sankara Subramanian, based on his autobiography Fulfilment Through Leprosy, outlines his work towards leprosy eradication.
