Tolera (ph.D), AssefaDagne, Demerew2022-07-262023-11-042022-07-262023-11-042004-12http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/32370The socio-economic life of the people associated with leprosy is one of the least explored subjects in Ethiopia. Thus, this thesis is an attempt to describe the socio-economic life of people associated with leprosy, which include leprosy sufferers as well as non-leprosy affected descendants. The general objective of the study is to describe survival strategies, social settings, and inter and intra community interactions. It examines the historical background of leprosy patients. It also explores and describes types of social change that occurred within and outside the community. The study population has been living in the study site for more than three decades. The earlier settlers were exclusively leprosy sufferers and few in number. Then their numbers increased after other patients who took flight to escape social evils in their birthplaces joined them. Later with the newly born children their number increased. By now the number of leprosy patients is decreasing with the death of the older generation and the decrease in number of newly joining patients. Leprosy has been surrounded by different beliefs and misconceptions and this in turn causes multi-faceted socio-economic hardships against leprosy associated people. Such hardships in turn were responsible to force leprosy sufferers to abandon their birthplaces, beloved families and property. So finally they have congregated with their fellows in isolated villages . .. Vll People associated with leprosy subsist on begging, cultivation of crops and vegetables and with other minor sources of income. Their means of livelihood has been diversifying through time. Besides, there have been social changes in the socio-economic life of people associated with leprosy. The changes are attributed to local, national and international factors . The achievement in the field of leprosy treatment is the res ult of international development in the field of medicine and the efforts of World Health Organization to end the suffering caused by leprosy. Their access to land for residence as well as for farmland resulted from the national land reform The changes in the attitudes of the study population and the general public attributed to a combination of factors, which include formal and informal education, the role of media and the like are responsible for the change that took place among the study population and the general public. Key wOI'ds: Gelemso, Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, People associated with leprosy, Nonaffected people, Migration, Begging, Stigma, Leprosy treatment, Traditional, Modern, Misconceptions.enGelemso, Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, People associated with leprosy, Nonaffected people, Migration, Begging, Stigma, Leprosy treatment, Traditional, Modern, Misconceptions.Thesis