Lepra (Leprosy Relief Association) is a UK-based international charity established in 1924, working to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate people with leprosy. Lepra currently works in India, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Lepra is a member of the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP), a federation of international non-governmental organisations committed to creating a world free of leprosy and of The UK Coalition against Neglected Tropical Diseases, a collaborative partnership between UK organisations actively engaged in the implementation and research of neglected tropical disease control. Other partners of Lepra include LEPRA India, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the World Health Organization, and the BIG Lottery Fund, as well as a range of corporate partners. Lepra's vision is to be a leader in reducing the incidence and impact of leprosy and other neglected diseases, and enabling children, women and men affected by leprosy, lymphatic filariasis (LF), to transform their lives and overcome the prejudice which surrounds these two diseases. Lepra has said they strive to be people-centred, transparent and accountable, innovative and demonstrating bold leadership, effective and efficient, and collaborative. History In 1923 Major General Sir Leonard Rogers, ex-Indian Medical Service, agreed to join Rev. Frank Oldrieve in forming a new association. Sir Leonard Rogers had been working on a treatment for leprosy based on chaulmoogra oil for several years and had recorded good results. On 12 July 1923, the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELRA) was constituted at a meeting at the India Office, presided over by Viscount Chelmsford. BELRA (1924-1964) On 31 January 1924, the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association was officially founded by Rogers and Oldrieve, with the financial help of Sir Frank Carter, a Calcutta businessman and philanthropist. BELRA was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) at The Mansion House in London. The association stated its aim as "to rid the Empire of leprosy." It was set up as a medical organisation, spearheading outpatient work instead of the traditional method of (compulsory) segregation. Rogers believed, based on his experience, that it was important to treat leprosy in its earliest stages, and that the segregation system caused people to hide the illness for as long as possible. King Edward VI became the first Patron. Lepra was founded in 1924 on two principles that, at the time, set the organisation apart. First, it acknowledged that leprosy was surrounded by superstition and myth, leading to prejudice and