Here's a hard-hitting photographic essay by Andrew Henderson on the ravages of leprosy, and on a leprosy colony in Khammam, India. Although India is working hard to eradicate the disease, lepers' colonies still exist. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease, and if left untreated, can lead to progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.
Leprosy has affected humanity since at least 600 BCE, and was well-recognized in the civilizations of ancient China, Egypt and India. In 1995, the World Health Organization estimated that between two and three million individuals were permanently disabled because of leprosy. Although the forced quarantine or segregation of patients is unnecessary, and can be considered unethical, a few leper colonies still remain around the world, in countries such as India, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Due to the introduction of multidrug therapy in the early 1980s the disease can be treated successfully.
The photographs are disturbing, but bring us the reality of those afflicted by this terrible disease and how they deserve our compassion rather than our fear.
Andrew's main interest lies in the theme of religion, exploring its effects on the world, and the capability it has to link diverse cultures together. He interned at Magnum Photo Agency in NYC, and published his work in The New York Times, Newsweek, US News and World Report, LIFE, The Sunday Times (London), Polaris Images, and The Fader, among others. In 2006, he was named Runner-Up College Photographer of the Year and nominated for PDN's 30 Emerging Photographers of 2007.
Here's Andrew's photo essay on Leprosy
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