Touchable - Dastagears Tale

Touchable Dastagears Tale Hyderabad, Indien, 2015 The life of 21-year old Dastagear changed dramatically after a leprosy infection. The oldest documented disease in human history is nowadays curable - nevertheless it severely damaged Dastagears body. Only his mother knows about his illness, stigmatisation and superstition are still common in India: People get rejected by their families, cannot find a job and can’t marry anymore. Often they are forced to move into a leprosycolony or end as beggars on the street. When Dastagear goes to the hospital for his long medical treatments he even keeps it a secret from his fiancé. He is too afraid of her rejection. According to the WHO, each year an estimated amount of 230.000 people are diagnosed with leprosy worldwide; the majority of 135.000 in India alone. In recent years scientists observed an increasing number of new infections, especially among youth.