This date was chosen by French humanitarian, Raoul Follereau as a tribute to the life of Mahatma Gandhi, who did much work with persons affected by leprosy and died at the end of January in 1948.

What is World Leprosy Day?
World Leprosy Day takes place on the last Sunday of January each year. It is organised by organisations of people affected by leprosy and leprosy-focused NGOs, including The Leprosy Mission, and is an opportunity to lift up the voices of people affected by leprosy throughout the world.

Source: https://www.leprosymission.org/

Honorable Vice-President of Nepal

As usual, this year also Association for India Nepal, The Leprosy Mission Nepal, and Southwestern State College jointly celebrated the 24th International Dignity and Respect Day in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Honorable Vice-President of Nepal Nanda Bahadur Poon was the chief guest on the occasion.
The event was attended by government officials of Nepal, representatives working on leprosy, and WHO representatives. Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav and Dr. Usha Kiran, Shobhakar Kandel, Country Director of The Leprosy Mission Nepal, Global Network Coordinator of Idea International, and Amar Bahadur Timalsina, Executive Director of Idea Nepal, journalists, students and family members, and relatives of those affected by leprosy. was present
6 locals and foreigners were felicitated in the event for their contribution in protecting the rights and interests of leprosy patients.
Md. Motiar Rahman, Executive Member of ALO Society from Bangladesh, and Mr. Clinton Malakar, Project Officer of ALO Society and Head of Advocacy and Communication, Nikita Sarah of The Leprosy Mission Trust India received the honor from the Vice President of Nepal in the event.
They are honored for their significant contribution to the welfare of leprosy sufferers. And three others are persons of practical experience and who have made extraordinary contributions to the welfare of leprosy sufferers.
Md. Motiar Rahman, Executive Member of ALO Society, a winner of the Wellesley Bailey Award 2014. He has gone from being neglected in society due to leprosy to being respectfully accepted in society and sharing his experience of working on behalf of leprosy sufferers.

Honorable Vice-President of Nepal said that leprosy sufferers should not be discriminated against due to their medical condition. He also said that for timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the nation and the concerned should work together.