World Leprosy Day was the idea of the great French Humanitarian, Raoul Follereau, who dedicated many years to fundraising and helping those affected by leprosy. Initially, this day was established to achieve two things. First, Follereau believed that those affected by leprosy should receive the same respect, dignity and quality of care as any other person. Second, he wanted greater awareness of the disease in order to change attitudes and to reduce stigma.