Supporting Malawi skin programme
Whilst the annual numbers of new leprosy cases in Malawi are relatively small, there are many people who are disabled as the result of late diagnosis or treatment, and who require care. However, finding these people is a challenge as few are still registered as ‘active’ leprosy patients, and government leprosy staff lacks the knowledge of how to accurately report and treat leprosy disability.
LEPRA Health in Action has traditionally supported the Malawi National Leprosy and Skin Programme. In March of this year a meeting was held to discuss the future of this support and to emphasise the need for better collaboration with other disease control programmes in Malawi, as well as increased support for disability caused by leprosy and other diseases.
As a result, LEPRA will begin a small project to enable health staff to better manage the disabling consequences of Leprosy and other skin diseases such as Lymphatic Filariasis.
Around 40 community level health staff from the whole of Malawi’s Southern Region (the poorest and most densely populated region of the country, where leprosy is most prevalent) will be trained in how to recognise, to record and to manage disabilities caused by these diseases, including how to train leprosy and lymphatic filariasis patients in basic self-care which they can practice at home to reduce the impact of their disabilities (hygiene, skin care, elevation of the affected limb and exercises).
Please donate now to support this work. We rely on the help of people like you to make sure we can continue with our important programmes here and around the world.
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