Jingle all the way

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If the word is going to be spread to the general public of India that Leprosy is both a curable disease and the stigma attached to the disease to be addressed then the message needs to take as many different formats as possible in order to reach as wide an audience as possible. The Leprosy Mission Media Centre has come up with an innovative way of singing and dramatising the word by producing jingles and radio bites for release on Gyan Vani Educational FM Radio. The catchy Bollywood style jingles are released during ad breaks and target a young audience with the aim of changing social attitudes. The Media Centre also get actors in to produce short sketches and films using case studies of real patients and the discrimination they have been subjected to. The spots also give an explanation of the early signs of leprosy as a way of educating people about the need for early treatment and encouraging them to come forward. TLM have been regularly receiving responses from people who have heard these spots and sketches and either wish to seek treatment or because they want to know more about the disease.

Whenever I have a conversation with someone in England about Leprosy their first reaction is one of surprise; most are shocked that this supposed “biblical disease” still exists in the world. 2012 has seen Polio eradicated in India thanks to the amazing work of the Rotary Club. As Andrew has mentioned in his post, the Indian Government is still claiming that Leprosy is bellow the 1% level and therefore has been eradicated in India. This is simply not the case. As knowledge of the disease grows, more and more persons afflicted by leprosy are coming forward for treatment. TLM has been keeping detailed records of the numbers of new cases but the Government is refusing to listen to the figures. The issue facing TLM is that while the Government is telling people there is no real leprosy issue, it is incredibly difficult for them to persuade people to give money to the cause. By using social media and radio advertising TLM will continue to broadcast the true plight of persons affected by leprosy with the ultimate goal of changing social attitudes.

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