Rationale

After many years of work, leprosy has been declared eliminated from Nepal in 2009 which means the prevalence rate has come down to less than 1 per 10,000 population.  However, one still comes across full-blown leprosy cases even in the Kathmandu area, early detection is crucial for the prevention of deformities in the patient.

Therefore, promotion of awareness about the disease and its nature continues to be crucial in the management of leprosy in the country. Besides, there is a large backlog of leprosy-affected people with visible deformities in the country, and shunned by their kith and kin, they constitute a class of disadvantaged people by themselves with continuous need for medical attention and rehabilitative support. But due to stigma that persists in the society, deformed cases are not treated in general hospitals. Therefore, the small hospital that Sewa Kendra runs at Gaushala has been of immense benefit for the leprosy patients in the country. Sewa Kendra also provides medical support to the government leprosarium in Kathmandu, and Sewa Kendra's Gaushala hospital has been providing hospital care also to its residents as and when they need it. Thus, Sewa Kendra as a civil society organization has been significantly contributing to the elimination, treatment and care of the leprosy-affected people in Nepal.