At INF’s Green Pastures Hospital in Pokhara, a local man from Kaski teaches patients how to safely get back to farming. Dirga Man Gurung loves showing people that they can still live their lives despite amputations or numb hands or feet.

On a typical day, Dirga Man gathers his eager students in the hospital’s dedicated safe farming area, ready to learn. He begins by demonstrating specialised techniques to protect their hands and feet from cuts or injuries.

“We must be watchful,” he explains, “Our hands may not feel pain, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t protect them.”

Under his guidance, the patients carefully dig fields, sow seeds, and pluck ripe spinach and tender lettuce. With each technique they learn, they are gaining back self-esteem, confidence and hope for the future.

Dirga Man’s work is linked to the Eileen and Betty Centre, a leprosy ward at Green Pastures that opened in February 2024. The adjoining area where Dirga Man works includes a greenhouse, courtyard and safe farming area.

Towards Zero Leprosy in Nepal: World Leprosy Day 2025

In Nepal, we long to see an end to this dreadful disease once and for all.

INF continues to play a key role in the treatment of people affected by leprosy in western Nepal, partly thanks to the generous backing of INF UK supporters.

This World Leprosy Day (26th January 2025) we are marking INF’s contribution as part of the Towards Zero Leprosy strategies of the World Health Organisation and Government of Nepal. The strategies aim for: zero infection, zero disability, and zero stigma.

One of the main reasons leprosy persists is the stigma it carries. People in Nepal often don’t know that if they get medical help early, leprosy can be treated and doesn’t have to ruin their lives. Others are scared to face their symptoms and seek medical help, worried they will be excluded from their community if people find out. Untreated, it spreads.

Green Pastures Hospital provides comprehensive care, including diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation for individuals affected by leprosy in western Nepal. The hospital also serves as a centre for study on leprosy, contributing valuable insights to the global effort to combat the disease.

A few highlights from the past year of leprosy work at Green Pastures Hospital:

• As awareness and understanding of leprosy grows, 2,142 people received outpatient care including medication, skin issues and physiotherapy.
• 541 people with more severe leprosy-related complications received footwear and other assistive devices.
• 312 people were admitted for inpatient care at Green Pastures with its new specialist leprosy ward, including some for life-changing reconstructive surgery.