A leprosy screening campaign, Aswamedham, will be held in the district on December 5 as part of the State-wide programme to reach out to people with disabilities due to leprosy.
The 14-day campaign was planned in the State due to the re-emergence of the disease in certain pockets. The disease was reported to be almost eradicated from the State.
The symptoms are visible on the skin with small discolouration or reddish colour, sores or a patch of the skin which is less sensitive to touch, frozen feeling of legs and hands, patches of skin that has grown thick and is shining or bruises that are not painful or some other disability.
The aim was to identify people who had either not got treatment or those who had not disclosed symptoms to anyone, said District Collector Mohammed Y. Safirulla in a statement after a meeting held on Monday.
Nearly 5,000 male and female volunteers are required for the campaign. The district medical officer (DMO) N.K. Kuttappan said those interested in being part of the campaign should contact the DMO. The campaign will also be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.