Songs of Praise presenter to give Cathedral talk about leprosy crisis

The talk will be held at 5.30pm on Sunday, January 27, where Pam will speak about her recent visit to Nepal, a country recovering from the devastation of the 2015 earthquake which killed 9,000 people, leaving an already poverty-stricken nation still struggling to rebuild lives.

Having recently taken up the position of Vice-President of Peterborough-based The Leprosy Mission, Pam visited the charity’s Anandaban Hospital in the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal. The hospital became a recognised disaster response centre by the Government of Nepal following the earthquakes, with Leprosy Mission staff providing medical care, emergency shelters and relief packages to more than 18,000 victims.

There is terrible prejudice and misunderstanding surrounding leprosy in Nepal but Pam will speak about the opportunity The Leprosy Mission has to end leprosy in Nepal as a result of the earthquake. She said: “The earthquake has changed everything and we cannot go back from there. There is a cure and the medical knowledge to stop leprosy in its tracks. Eventually it will stop completely, but our fight is with stigma and ignorance first. We have to work until we are not needed anymore, and what a wonderful thing that would be.”

The Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Rev Donald Allister, also a Vice-President of The Leprosy Mission, will lead the launch event of the charity’s Heal Nepal campaign at Peterborough Cathedral on Sunday January 27.

Entrance is free and all are welcome. For more information about the event, please ring 01733 370505 or email [email protected]