01291nam a2200169   4500000000100000008004100001653001000042653001200052653001600064653002400080653002000104100001700124245009500141250000800236300000800244520086900252       2018                            d10aIndia10aleprosy10aMaharashtra10aMicro credit system10aQuality of Life1 aShegaonkar S00aImpact of micro credit system on quality of life of leprosy affected people in Maharashtra  a1st  a1963 a<p>Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease that primarily affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. The causative agent is an acid-fast bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae, first identified in 1873 by the Norwegian physician, Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen. Leprosy was considered a divine curse for sin in the Old Testament and Karma in Buddhism. The term leprosy originates from the Latin word lepros, meaning defilement. The fact that leprosy has been deemed an incurable disease, causing severe deformities and disabilities, has resulted in severe stigmatization. This has resulted in double suffering by victims, both from the disease itself and from public discrimination. Although documented since antiquity, leprosy currently remains endemic in some developing parts of the world.</p>