Thursday, June 18, 2009

Documentary Photography From Nepal Now On Gaia Photos Leprosy Continues To Prevail By Morten Svenningsen


Sudarson (12) and Narayan (6) are being looked over by their surrogate mother.

Photo © Morten Svenningsen All Rights Reserved

Nepal: Ancient Diseases Continue To Prevail

Photojournalist Morten Svenningsen visited some of the people affected by leprosy and other diseases, including polio, who receive care at The Shanti Sewa Griha home and treatment center for leprosy patients in Kathmandu, Nepal.

As Svenningsen explains, "Leprosy in Nepal still affects thousands of people and is closely related to the widespread poverty the country faces. Insufficient diet, contaminated water and generally poor living conditions are among the contributing factors to its prevalence and new cases of leprosy emerge on a daily basis."

Further, he observes, "To add insult to injury, the age-old social stigma lingers in many of the country’s rural areas. Ignorance, fear and superstition result in leprosy patients becoming social outcasts, confined to beggary and sometimes even stoned to death by fellow villagers."

To learn more about this age old scourge please view Nepal: Ancient Diseases Continue To Prevail as viewed through photojournalist Morten Svenningsen's lens.

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