ACTIVITIES
OF AIFO:
LEPROSY
CONTROL PROJECTS
Activities
linked to the fight against leprosy continue to remain top priority for
AIFO. The last decade has shown impressive gains in reduction of number
of cases registered for treatment. This has been possible because of
unprecedented commitment from national governments and international organizations, along with progressive shortening of treatment regimes
for control of leprosy. More recently, even the numbers of new cases of
leprosy have also started to decrease, especially in India. However, million of persons,
including children, continue to live in areas where the risk of
infection with leprosy bacillus is endemic.
In
such situations, it is important to ensure early diagnosis of all new
cases, their proper treatment and complete treatment with MDT,
prevention of disabilities and rehabilitation of persons with leprosy
related disabilities.
Over
the past few years, increasingly small local leprosy projects supported
by AIFO are integrated with primary health care. However, there continue
to be many significant national or sub-national level vertical leprosy
programmes supported by AIFO such as in Mozambique (Nampula, Manica), Brazil (Para, Acre and
Goias), India, China (Yunnan), Ghana,Angola (Luanda), Kenya, etc. There are also some combined leprosy-TB
programmes supported by AIFO such as in Guinea Bissau, etc.
While
vertical problems have played a prominent role in the fight against
leprosy in the past, it has become increasingly important to strengthen
continuity and sustainability of the fight against leprosy. For this
reason, over the last decade AIFO has continued to promote strategies
based on integration and development approaches through combined
programmes (mainly leprosy and tuberculosis, some times also with HIV),
primary health care, community health care and community-based
rehabilitation (CBR) programmes.
Rehabilitation
of persons with leprosy related disabilities
According
to WHO, there are more than 13 million leprosy-affected persons in the
world, who have completed treatment with MDT. Many of them need support
for physical and social rehabilitation. Among them there are about 2
million persons with visible disabilities and another 2 million persons
with anesthesia of body parts, who risk to worsen and develop new
disabilities. Many of leprosy projects supported by AIFO are also active
in prevention of disabilities, medical rehabilitation and socio-economic
rehabilitation activities. In addition, there are some specific
rehabilitation projects for leprosy affected persons.
If you want to learn more about leprosy, take a look at
the online
materials, documents, courses, exhibitions, etc. available on
this website. For more information about AIFO work related to
leprosy, take a look at AIFO's
annual report and other publications.
Other
AIFO
Activities:
