History of Flu (Influenza): Outbreaks and Vaccine Timeline

Armadillos Causing Leprosy In Florida

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Although leprosy is still endemic to some parts of the world, its presence in the United States is relatively rare. But a recent outbreak in Florida is bringing leprosy and its believed cause — the armadillo — into the modern spotlight.

Produced by Grace Raver. Video courtesy of Reuters.

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Leaping Into Action For Leprosy, 1999

By my memory, leprosy in India was the first-ever BBC Media Action project, when BBC Media Action was still known as BBC World Service Trust - that was 25 years ago.

As I recall it, it was in the final months of 1999. I was three years into my stint as BBC South Asia correspondent, based in Delhi, and I went with local producer Shubhranshu Choudhary to the building in east Delhi for the launch of a leprosy awareness project in northern India – focusing our attention very much on the state of Bihar.

The idea was to help spread information to help people with leprosy access treatment. Those who had leprosy could, it was hoped, be cured if they could get access to a multi-drug therapy that had been developed. Or - if they had advanced to the stage where they had become disfigured - then their lives could be much improved if they could get surgery.

The government planned to make the drugs more widely available, as well as the surgery. One of the big problems was the stigma attached to leprosy. It was difficult to convince individuals, families of those affected and communities that those with leprosy could be treated and could have much better lives.

That's where the-then World Service Trust came in - encouraging and helping local print, radio (and, where they existed, TV) journalists to convey this information, producing social advertising, street theatre performances about leprosy, and more.

Report on the BBC World Service, working to raise awareness of treatments for leprosy in India.

I'm pretty sure I was told by the Trust that it was the first project in the world of its nature to get off the ground. I was based in Delhi for another two years and remember being told that, following this project and wider health-system efforts, health officials found over 450,000 hidden cases of leprosy in India. 

This was attributed, at least in part, to the success of the World Service Trust/Media Action project – because more people were identified and coming forward for treatment. In terms of tackling the stigma that held patients back from accessing drugs and/or surgery it was, of course, very much an early example of countering misinformation.

The World Service Trust office in Delhi went on to carry out a major HIV awareness project – the impact of AIDS in India being a topic I had also reported on for the BBC. Andrew Whitehead, who was the India director of the World Service Trust from 2005 to 2007, says: "Our big work was a (UK Department for International Development)-supported project making high quality TV series with HIV messaging for Doordarshan, India's state broadcaster. We made a marvellous detective series – the detective was HIV positive – and a reality programme which worked with Bollywood stars."

"We also had a small but wonderful project developing a women's radio programme using citizen journalists. And towards the end of our time we got the World Service Trust's first Gates-supported project (tackling) HIV."

Today, 25 years later, BBC Media Action's work in India spans health, gender rights, more inclusive societies and climate change. The projects and programmes have grown and changed for a rapidly changing digital world - and they have never been more important.

Mike Wooldridge was a BBC Media Action trustee until his term ended in June 2024. He remains a staunch supporter of BBC Media Action.

Read one of his original reports here.

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