Programmes aimed at poverty reduction generally exclude people with disability; in particular, visible disabilities. Those affected are treated with significant social, educational and employment-related stigma, thereby reducing opportunities for people with disability to overcome poverty. At LEPRA however, projects centre upon disability, whether caused by leprosy or lymphatic filariasis, neurological disorders such as foot drop, or amputations.

On this page you will read the story of volunteer Daniul who having lost his hands and legs, nevertheless works on our disability project; and learn more about our apprenticeship project – one of the seven areas that make up our Disability Programme.

Our apprenticeship project

In rural and poor areas, people with disabilities are perceived as a burden to the family and community. One way to obtain a better position in society is to have a sustainable livelihood, support the family and send the children to school for education. In recognition of this, LEPRA Bangladesh will offer six people who have a disability a three-year apprenticeship, to learn a skill through both on-the-job training and formal education. In this
way we hope to create more equal job opportunities for people with a disability, Disability project in Bangladesh brings training and apprenticeships Bangladesh is among the poorest countries in the world, and the north-west part of the country is considered to be one of the poorest regions in Bangladesh. A disproportionate number of people with disability are regarded as ‘the poorest of the poor’. The districts Sirajgonj, Pabna and Natore, where LEPRA Bangladesh works, belong to this area, enabling them to escape crippling poverty and to obtain a more respected place in society.

LEPRA Bangladesh has developed different types of skills training for people with disability: receptionists, rehabilitation workers and Information, Education and Communication support staff. This is a pilot project and we hope to be able to develop it further in the future.

LEPRA volunteer Daniul Islam is married and has two children. He supported his family by working as a security guard at a power station. In November 2002 he was carrying a flag during a celebration rally and he was electrocuted when the flag pole made contact with some overhead cables. He was in hospital for three months and had to have all four limbs – his legs below the knee joint, and arms below the elbow joint amputated.

He was unable to earn an income so his family depended on the £10 per month that his wife earned as a teacher. Daniul’s self-confidence was low and he thought he was unable to do anything in life. The community he lived in refused to include him in village activities and thus he lived an excluded life.

He joined LEPRA Bangladesh as a volunteer trainee rehabilitation worker and since that time he has found a new position in life. He is confident that, in future, he will be able to support his family and pay the school fees to educate his children. The community has regained  respect for him and the people around him have started to realise that life with a disability is as worthy as any other life.

Leprosy eliminated in Bangladesh. Thousands affected by leprosy in Bangladesh. Although many will find this title illogical, it is factually irrefutable. In 1998, the World Health organisation (WHO) declared leprosy eliminated in Bangladesh. Despite this fact, WHO statistics reveal that over 5,000 Bangladeshi people were diagnosed with the disease in 2007.

This inconsistency may be due to the wording of WHO definitions:

• Elimination -- achieved when the prevalence is less than one leprosy case per 10,000
• Eradication – achieved when there are no cases of leprosy

LEPRA Bangladesh is working to assist in the eradication of leprosy by focusing on three core areas:

Early diagnosis

Vital because if untreated, leprosy can be a disfiguring and disabling disease. Therefore detecting the disease quickly is a high priority. LEPRA staff advise government and nongovernment bodies on how to recognise and diagnose leprosy in patients.

LEPRA also provides regular training, supervision and update sessions in order to maintain the quality of knowledge and skills used to recognise the disease. These sessions take place in schools, clinics and in the community.

Returning to rural clinics on a regular basis maximises the impact of the training. For the prevention of disability, LEPRA uses quick muscle testing and sensory testing to detect leprosy at the earliest possible stage.

Adequate treatment and laboratory services

The adequate treatment regime consists of supervised medical care, good functioning laboratory services, a strict follow-up system and health education for the patients and their family members. A proper exercise programme is provided for the prevention and reduction of disabilities. Where needed, protective devices are supplied.

Public awareness to remove social stigma Increased efforts to reduce the burden of leprosy is a major focus in the work of LEPRA Bangladesh. They include: preventing disability in new cases, helping to rehabilitate those with disability and fighting stigma wherever it exists. Self stigma and discrimination from the community are still major reasons for the occurrence of unnecessary disabilities among the people affected by leprosy. Intensive work in the communities hopes to contribute to measurable results in the coming years.

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Posted by nicolettedawson 16:09 15.10.2009

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