Ahead of World Leprosy day, which falls on January 30,  and as part of National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), an organization in association with the  NLEP authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a training material on Thursday to improve skills of ASHAworkers in tackling the Hansen's disease.

The flip chart for the Accredited Social Health Activists was unveiled by WHO Goodwill Ambassador and recipient of Gandhi Peace Prize Yohei Sasakawa.  Developed jointly by Sasakawa, the NLEP and WHO India, the training material is printed in Hindi, Gujarati, Oriya and Bengali to help three lakh ASHA workers, Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation said in a statement.

This training package will strengthen the ASHAworkers' skill and facilitate early detection of leprosy cases and treatment, the organization said. Union Health and Family Welfare joint secretary RekhaShukla said the government is committed to make the country devoid of leprosy.

''The NLEP is focusing on early and active detection of leprosy cases for prevention of physical disabilities and to stop the community transmission. ASHA workers are the main frontline activists in this endeavor,'' she said.

WHO India will also release short online animation films in regional languages for ASHA workers to educate them on how to use the training material effectively. Overall, 1,14,451 new cases of leprosy were detected in India in 2019-20, the statement said.

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