Around 450 participants from different walks of life joined ‘The Walk To Fight Leprosy’ which was flagged off by actor Rana Daggubati at People’s Plaza, Necklace Road here on Sunday morning (31 January 2010).

Organised by LEPRA India on the occasion of World Leprosy Day and Anti-Leprosy Week, the participants included Christine Lazarus, MLA and J. Satyanarayana, Health Secretary.

After flagging-off the event, Rana Daggubati walked the two kilometre distance along with others and Mr. Satyanarayana released a leaflet which contained facts about leprosy.

Blue Peter Research Center has a well functioning mycobacteriology laboratory handling samples from suspected MDR patients for the past several years. The research conducted by the laboratory on specimen transport and MDR has been published in various national and international journals of public health importance. With its existing facility and expertise, for conducting culture and drug susceptibility (C& DST) tests, the laboratory has been accredited to the Central TB division, GOI, after a successful completion of proficiency tests conducted by TB Research Center, Chennai. Following which, the laboratory is now identified as one of the referral laboratories for C&DST under DOTS-plus programme of Govt. of AP, covering four coastal districts of AP(Krishna, Guntur, East and West Godavari). Sputum specimens from suspected MDR TB patients from these districts would be transported to BPRC, to carry on the required laboratory tests. LEPRA Society enters in to an MOU with State TB society to undertake this collaborative activity. The Director and Microbiologist of BPRC would participate in the DOTS-Plus programme, in the capacity of members of the DOTS-plus state committee.