St. Luke's

St. Luke’s is so much more than a leprosarium. They have adopted a much more holistic approach to the problem of leprosy. Curing leprosy is a simple matter of the right antibiotics; changing the root cause and the social attitudes around leprosy is a whole other issue. I am not sure how many people in North America realize that leprosy is still a problem in the world. India is by far the world hot spot for new leprosy cases, accounting for about 75% of new cases globally. Fortunately the number of new cases is dropping, but even if there were no more new cases starting today, we still have a 50 year problem.



Early detection is since the bacteria that causes leprosy can be completely wiped out with cheap antibiotics, but the problem is the social stigma. People, especially women, tend not to act quickly because lepers are still shunned from their community. Once the bacteria advances to the stage of damaging nerves, the condition can be halted, but the nerve damage cannot be reversed.


Many of the people I met at St. Luke’s have been there for many years. Damaged limbs prevent them from regular employment, and the community is not welcoming toward them should they try to return to their home village. St. Luke’s retains them and gives them meaning and purpose in their lives. Depending on the degree of damage they have some can work in the fields or do handicrafts. One man is making candles. Others help to care for their fellow patients less fortunate than themselves.




In addition to helping patients suffering from leprosy, St. Luke’s works with the children of patients providing schooling and a home to live in. There are agricultural training programs for these children that include gardening, goat farming, and pig farming. Education of the community is key to integrating people back into society, and although this is a slow process, St. Luke’s is working hard to bring this about. Although I am sure that leprosy will be eradicated from the earth at some point, I also predict it will be long after the roof we are building crumbles. My thanks to the staff of St. Luke’s for their dedication to helping our brothers and sisters in a time of need. When you do this for the least of these...