Lifelines

How a leprosy sufferer overcame suicide

A man from a leprosy colony in India talks about the difficulties he has faced since being diagnosed with the disease.

In the past, leprosy sufferers were ostracised by their communities as the disease was incurable, disfiguring and incorrectly thought to be highly infectious.

A man who suffered from leprosy tried to take his own life on two occasions and shares his story. 

Lifelines: The Quest for Global Health aired on Al Jazeera in 2014. ‘Ancient Enemy’ the seventh film in the series focusing on leprosy in India. You can watch it online here