Lepra (charity)

Last updated

Lepra (Leprosy Relief Association) is a UK-based international charity established in 1924, working to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate people with leprosy. Lepra currently works in India, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe.

Contents

Lepra is a member of the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP), [1] a federation of international non-governmental organisations committed to creating a world free of leprosy [2] and of The UK Coalition against Neglected Tropical Diseases, [3] a collaborative partnership between UK organisations actively engaged in the implementation and research of neglected tropical disease control. [4] Other partners of Lepra include LEPRA India, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the World Health Organization, and the BIG Lottery Fund, as well as a range of corporate partners. [5] [6]

History

In 1923 Major General Sir Leonard Rogers, ex-Indian Medical Service, agreed to join Rev. Frank Oldrieve in forming a new association. [7] Sir Leonard Rogers had been working on a treatment for leprosy based on chaulmoogra oil for several years and had recorded good results. [8] On 12 July 1923, the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELRA) was constituted at a meeting at the India Office, presided over by Viscount Chelmsford.

BELRA (1924-1964)

On 31 January 1924, the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association was officially founded by Rogers and Oldrieve, with the financial help of Sir Frank Carter, a Calcutta businessman and philanthropist. [9] BELRA was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) at The Mansion House in London. The association stated its aim as "to rid the Empire of leprosy." It was set up as a medical organisation, spearheading outpatient work instead of the traditional method of (compulsory) segregation. Rogers believed, based on his experience, that it was important to treat leprosy in its earliest stages, and that the segregation system caused people to hide the illness for as long as possible. [10] King Edward VI became the first Patron.

Lepra was founded in 1924 on two principles that, at the time, set the organisation apart. First, it acknowledged that leprosy was surrounded by superstition and myth, leading to prejudice and isolation for those affected by the disease. Lepra sought to move beyond these issues through "evidence-led" policies and practices. Second, Lepra was established as a secular charity, open to all faiths and beliefs, and claiming to favour none above another.

In 1929 Dr Robert Cochrane took over from Oldrieve and became BELRA's Medical and General Secretary.

In 1931 BELRA was recognised as the 'First leprosy prevention organisation' at the International Leprosy Congress in Manila.

In 1935 BELRA launched a Child Adoption Scheme as a method of raising funds for treatment of children who were patients of leprosy hospitals. The child patients were connected with UK sponsors. The royal family would later adopt children through BELRA's Child Adoption Scheme in 1947.

In 1945 BELRA became one of the first organisations to methodically trial Dapsone as a treatment for leprosy and record its impact.

In 1951 Dr Robert Cochrane became Leprosy Adviser to the UK Ministry of Health. [11]

In 1952 The Queen became patron of BELRA.

In 1953 BELRA established the first leprosy research centre in Eastern Africa. The site for the East African Leprosy Research Centre was chosen to be within the grounds of the Itesio Leprosarium in Kenya. In 1959 the name of the centre was changed to Alupe. [12] [13] The centre is now known as The Centre for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Control Research (CIPDCR) and is one of the 12 centres of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). [14]

At the 1957 Annual General Meeting, following the decolonisation process of the British Empire, the Association changed its name to the British Leprosy Relief Association, retaining the abbreviation BELRA.

In 1961 BELRA helped to develop Clofazimine (B663), which to this day remains a part of the multi drug therapy used for multi bacillary leprosy. [15] [16]

In 1962 A mobile exhibition van started touring the UK, promoting BELRA's work. [17]

LEPRA (1964-2013)

In 1964 the Association changed its name from BELRA to LEPRA.

In 1965 the High Commissioner for Malawi and LEPRA's president, Viscount Boyd, approved an agreement on the Malawi Pilot Leprosy Control project, which subsequently began work.

In 1974 LEPRA moved its headquarters from London to Colchester, where its offices are still based today.

As a result of research, in 1975 LEPRA became one of the first associations to use multidrug therapy for treating leprosy, to increase effectiveness and minimise drug resistance. [18]

In 1976 LEPRA became a full member of the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP).

In 1992 LEPRA funded research into a new surgical technique to restore sense of touch and temperature to damaged feet and hands, in cooperation with the Royal College of Surgeons in London and a leprosy centre in India. [18]

In 1996 LEPRA was chosen to be the partner charity for the BBC Children's Television programme Blue Peter in their 'Bring and Buy Sale' for leprosy. The appeal raised more than £2.8 million. [19]

In 1998 LEPRA extended its work to helping people with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. [18]

In 2000 LEPRA joined the World Health Organisation, ILEP, governments of major endemic countries, and other major organisations in the Global Alliance Against Leprosy. [20] [21]

In 2011 A study from the Blue Peter Health Research Centre identified new biomarkers to detect TB early in HIV-positive people. [18]

Lepra (2013-)

In 2013, LEPRA was re-branded as Lepra and in 2014 celebrated its 90th birthday. This was celebrated with a special anniversary edition of its quarterly magazine Lepra News, including a timeline of many of Lepra's achievements over the years. [22]

In 2017 Lepra's Museum was officially opened by Kate Anderson, Gt. Niece of Sir Frank Carter, one of Lepra's founding members.

Leprosy Review

Each quarter, Lepra publishes Leprosy Review, an English-language scientific journal on leprosy. The open-access academic journal includes original papers on all aspects of leprosy, from research into medical, physical and social aspects of leprosy to information relevant to leprosy control.

A forerunner of Leprosy Review, named Leprosy Notes, was first published in 1928. In its first issue, Rev. Frank Oldrieve, as Secretary of the Association, writes that the hope is "that leprosy workers in the British Empire will find these notes of service." He also invites readers to write in with any notes "on the results obtained from the various treatments that are being tried." [23] In total, seven issues of Leprosy Notes are published across two years. [23]

In 1930, the first issue of Leprosy Review is published, a larger and expanded version of Leprosy Notes, with Dr Robert Cochrane as its first editor. Its aim was to "meet the need for a quarterly periodical giving interesting and practical details to workers, especially to those who have made no attempt to specialise exclusively in the field of leprosy." [24]

In 2004, Leprosy Review was cited as one of the top five medicine journals by the Institute of Scientific Information. [24]

In 2017 Leprosy Review published an article arguing for a return to an active case finding strategy in endemic countries to reduce the numbers of people affected by leprosy. [25]

The Leprosy Notes of 1928 and 1929 as well as all Leprosy Review issues from 1930 to 2001 are freely available online thanks to the Full Text Leprosy Project, an initiative of the Lauro de Souza Lima Institute of Secretary of Health of São Paulo, in cooperation with the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information and The International Journal of Leprosy. [24] Issues from 2002 onwards are available on Lepra's website. [24]

Current Work

Lepra takes an integrated approach to reducing the incidence and impact of leprosy and lymphatic filariasis. In addition to treating the diseases, Lepra also aims to enable people to improve their livelihoods and overcome disability, discrimination and prejudice. [26]

Locations

As of 2019 Lepra works in India (as LEPRA Society), Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Lepra's international office is based in Colchester, England.

Over the years Lepra has worked in multiple other countries, including Brazil, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zanzibar.

Bangladesh

In 2000, at the request of the government of Bangladesh, Lepra took over responsibility for leprosy control work in the Sirajganj and Pabna districts. [18]

In 2006 Lepra established a system of "health camps" in Bangladesh to test for TB. [18]

Lepra currently works in 11 districts in the north of Bangladesh, including Bogra, Sirajganj, Pabna and Natore.

LEPRA Society

LEPRA Society is a partner of Lepra, serving the needs of people affected by leprosy across India. While its history dates back to 1925, when Lepra started working in India, it was established as an independent Indian NGO in Hyderabad in 1988 to comply with Indian law. [27] Lepra and LEPRA Society remain closely linked through governance and institutional structures and are a single consolidated charitable entity.

Lepra, through LEPRA Society, works in seven Indian states, namely Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi. Lepra's projects in India include comprehensive referral centres where self-supporting groups in rural areas, across health education, bespoke footwear for disability, active case finding, livelihood support, reaction treatment and support, mental health counselling, health education, reconstructive surgery and training.

LEPRA Society of India held its inaugural meeting in Hyderabad on 3 August 1989. [28]

In 1990 LEPRA began its BOLEP project in Sonepur, Odisha, India, which had the highest prevalence of leprosy in the world at the time. [18] The project continues to this day.

The Blue Peter Public Health Centre, located in Hyderabad, was officially inaugurated in December 1999. [18] It is a research centre as well as training and treatment facility for those with leprosy. [29] It offers a unique combination of high-quality research and clinical practice. [30]

In 2000 LEPRA introduced health education vans in India. [18]

Services

Diagnosing and treating leprosy

One of Lepra's core activities is the diagnosis and treatment of leprosy. When a doctor, health worker or health volunteer suspects someone has leprosy, Lepra will test skin sensations to determine whether the person can feel their skin being touched with cotton wool, feather or a ballpoint. [31] Another way to determine leprosy infection is by taking a skin smear from a nodule on the skin. The skin smear is only positive, however, if many leprosy bacilli are present, meaning that the patient is heavily infected.

Leprosy is treated by multi drug therapy (MDT), a combination of Dapsone and Rifampicin for six months in the case of low infection ("paucibillary"). For higher infection levels ("multi-bacillary"), Clofazimine is added to the MDT and the treatment period is lengthened to 12 months.

Early diagnoses and active case finding

Lepra also recognises the importance of early detection of leprosy. Their active case finding method involves a screening of people around an infected person. While previous methods focused specifically on people sharing a household with a person affected by leprosy, Lepra focuses on both household members and 20-25 households around an index-case and conducts systematic screening of communities, schools or other places where endemicity is thought to be high.

Lymphatic filariasis

Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic disease contracted through the bite of an infected mosquito. It causes swelling of body parts and altering of the immune system.Although there is no cure for LF, Lepra implements a number of strategies to make the disease manageable for those affected. They travel to remote communities to teach self-care techniques to reduce swelling and pain. If feet are already severely deformed, Lepra provides people with custom-made protective footwear. [32]

Health education and health worker training

In many of the places where Lepra works, basic health information is often lacking, both for the general public and for health workers. Lepra tries to remedy this by providing health education and health training.

Lepra uses health education vans to bring health information to people living in remote and rural areas. These vans visit villages to educate people about maintaining good health and informing them about the symptoms of leprosy, LF and other prevalent diseases. [32]

Lepra has also visited schools to provide health education. This education includes teaching children the symptoms of leprosy so they can recognise the disease in themselves and their families. School visits are also an important step in dispelling leprosy myths and the stigma surrounding the disease. [32]

Lepra works with governments to improve health worker training. Lepra also trains traditional doctors to recognise the symptoms of leprosy and other neglected diseases so they can refer patients to government facilities when needed. [33]

To fill in the gaps in the health service, Lepra also works with community health volunteers who are trained to recognise symptoms and work in their own communities to spread health messages, follow up on cases, and refer suspected cases of illness to the correct health facilities. [33]

Advocacy and fighting prejudice

People with leprosy or other diseases such as lymphatic filariasis often face stigma and prejudice from their communities, the government, or even their families. Such stigma often remains long after a person has been cured. [34] Many people who have leprosy or used to have leprosy are forced to live in leprosy colonies across India and Bangladesh, isolated from their families and communities. [34]

Lepra aims to fight prejudice and stigma by providing health education to the general population, as well as health worker training. [35]

Lepra also provides support to people who face leprosy and other diseases in the form of counselling services at the Munger Referral Centre. [36]

Lepra is actively working with national and state networks of people affected by leprosy and disability across India and Bangladesh to fight legal discrimination. This can involve educating clients about rights to land, disability and old age benefits, and basic human rights, and finding opportunities for clients to meet with government representatives and local authorities. [37]

Self-help groups

In 2012 Lepra began self-help groups in India, Bangladesh and Mozambique for those affected by LF and leprosy. These groups advise people on how to best help themselves with health care and income generation.

At each meeting, members of the self-help groups make a small financial contribution to a group fund. This fund is then used to provide members with an interest-free business loan to finance business initiatives such as a local shop, goat rearing, or tailoring. Members of the group are also trained in group management skills, self-care, or advocacy skills. [38]

Community disability care and protective footwear

Lepra teaches people how to care for their disabilities, so they are not left unable to work, and also provides people with protective footwear so they can get around more easily.

Lepra organises self-care camps in local communities where people can learn how to care for their disabilities through cleaning and physiotherapy techniques that they can then do at home. People with disabilities are invited to demonstrate to others how they can prevent infection and reduce the severity of their disabilities. [39]

Lepra also provides basic self-care kits to people free of charge. These kits include a bar of soap, anti-bacterial ointment, cream to prevent fungal infections, and a towel. [39]

Lepra provides people with leprosy and LF with specialist, made-to-fit shoes designed for each individual. Shoes provide comfort, encourage healing of wounds and ulcers, and prevent further injury and disability. They can also restore a person's dignity and challenge stigma within the community. [40] Several shoe technicians are working in clinics and referral centres, while Lepra also has a few shoe vans driving across India providing the service to local communities. [41]

Referral centres

When Lepra first sett up referral centres, people with leprosy were not allowed into hospitals or did not receive proper treatment due to stigma and doctors not specialising in the disease. [42] Now, Lepra's referral centres provide services in areas where health facilities are lacking or unable to manage neglected diseases like leprosy or LF, and the disabilities they can cause. [42] The services offered at these referral centres include testing, treatment, disability care, physiotherapy, ulcer care, reconstructive surgery and counselling to people affected by diseases as well as their families.

Lepra runs their referral centres in partnership with state and national health systems. They are often located in government health centres and hospitals. Ultimately, the aim is to hand them over to governments to ensure their sustainability. [42]

Research and innovation

Lepra is one of the world's leading authorities on leprosy. Over the years, Lepra has conducted pioneering research in the treatment of leprosy and has been at the forefront of developing a cure and trialling a multitude of drug treatments.

Today research still forms an important part of Lepra's work, carrying out both scientific and field research to further knowledge of neglected diseases and the effects they have on poor communities. [43]

Recent research has focused on active case finding, disability aids, diagnostic tools and the mental health needs of those affected by leprosy.

Awards

In 1998 Lepra received a National Lottery Charities Board award. That same year, Lepra achieved "Investors in People" status.

In 2003 Lepra's contributions to the fight against leprosy were recognised at the Third Meeting of the Global Alliance for the Elimination of Leprosy (GAEL) in Yangon, Myanmar.

Ambassadors and Patrons

Throughout Lepra's history, the reigning British monarch has consistently been a Lepra patron. King George VI became the first of the Royal family to sponsor children through their adoption scheme at the time, and Queen Elizabeth II became Patron of the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELRA) in 1952 following his death. The Duke of Gloucester, Prince Richard (KG, GCVO), is the current vice-president of Lepra. [44]

Lepra currently has multiple ambassadors who help to support and promote their work:

Fiona Duby has worked in 29 countries in Africa and Asia in health and development programmes in both the public and the private sector. She was awarded an MBE for services to Bangladesh in 1992 and an OBE for services to Nigeria in 1999. In 2000, she was invited to join Lepra's board of trustees. She became an ambassador in 2015. [45]

Victoria Hislop is an author best known for her novel The Island , which features the island of Spinalonga, Greece's former leper colony. [46] Hislop became an ambassador for Lepra in 2013 and has been to India to visit Lepra's projects. [47]

Stuart Miles was one of the Blue Peter presenters at the time when Lepra was selected as the charity for Blue Peter's annual fundraiser in 1996. Miles has since visited projects, helping to raise awareness of leprosy and Lepra's appeals. [48]

In 2018 Stuart Paver became a Lepra ambassador. He is the managing director of Pavers, the shoe company that has helped fund Lepra's Indian shoe vans. [49]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leprosy</span> Chronic infection caused by mycobacteria leprae or lepromatosis

Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damage may result in a lack of ability to feel pain, which can lead to the loss of parts of a person's extremities from repeated injuries or infection through unnoticed wounds. An infected person may also experience muscle weakness and poor eyesight. Leprosy symptoms may begin within one year, but, for some people, symptoms may take 20 years or more to occur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leper colony</span> Place to isolate people with leprosy

A leper colony, also known by many other names, is an isolated community for the quarantining and treatment of lepers, people suffering from leprosy. M. leprae, the bacterium responsible for leprosy, is believed to have spread from East Africa through the Middle East, Europe, and Asia by the 5th century before reaching the rest of the world more recently. Historically, leprosy was believed to be extremely contagious and divinely ordained, leading to enormous stigma against its sufferers. Other severe skin diseases were frequently conflated with leprosy and all such sufferers were kept away from the general public, although some religious orders provided medical care and treatment. Recent research has shown M. leprae has maintained a similarly virulent genome over at least the last thousand years, leaving it unclear which precise factors led to leprosy's near elimination in Europe by 1700. A growing number of cases following the first wave of European colonization, however, led to increased attention towards leprosy during the New Imperialism of the late 19th century. Following G.A. Hansen's discovery of the role of M. leprae in the disease, the First International Leprosy Conference held in Berlin in 1897 renewed interest and investment in the isolation of lepers throughout the European colonial empires. Although Western countries now generally treat cases of leprosy individually on an outpatient basis, traditional isolated colonies continue to exist in India, China, and some other countries.

The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) is a part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA helps fund, staff and support a national network of health clinics for people who otherwise would have little or no access to care. BPHC funds health centers in underserved communities, providing access to high quality, family oriented, comprehensive primary and preventive health care for people who are low-income, uninsured or face other obstacles to getting health care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIV/AIDS in India</span>

HIV/AIDS in India is an epidemic. The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) estimated that 2.14 million people lived with HIV/AIDS in India in 2017. Despite being home to the world's third-largest population of persons with HIV/AIDS, the AIDS prevalence rate in India is lower than that of many other countries. In 2016, India's AIDS prevalence rate stood at approximately 0.30%—the 80th highest in the world. Treatment of HIV/AIDS is via a combination of antiretroviral drugs and education programs to help people avoid infection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Podoconiosis</span> Human disease

Podoconiosis, also known as nonfilarial elephantiasis, is a disease of the lymphatic vessels of the lower extremities that is caused by chronic exposure to irritant soils. It is the second most common cause of tropical lymphedema after lymphatic filariasis, and it is characterized by prominent swelling of the lower extremities, which leads to disfigurement and disability. Methods of prevention include wearing shoes and using floor coverings. Mainstays of treatment include daily foot hygiene, compression bandaging, and when warranted, surgery of overlying nodules.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neglected tropical diseases</span> Diverse group of tropical infectious diseases which are common in developing countries

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of tropical infections that are common in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. They are caused by a variety of pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and parasitic worms (helminths). These diseases are contrasted with the "big three" infectious diseases, which generally receive greater treatment and research funding. In sub-Saharan Africa, the effect of neglected tropical diseases as a group is comparable to that of malaria and tuberculosis. NTD co-infection can also make HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis more deadly.

Leprosy was said to be first recognized in the ancient civilizations of China, Egypt, and India, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, was officially eliminated at the national level in China by 1982, meaning prevalence is lower than 1 in 100,000. There are 3,510 active cases today. Though leprosy has been brought under control in general, the situation in some areas is worsening, according to China's Ministry of Health. In the past, leprosy sufferers were ostracized by their communities as the disease was incurable, disfiguring, and wrongly thought to be highly infectious.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yōhei Sasakawa</span>

Yōhei Sasakawa is chairman of The Nippon Foundation, the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, and Japan's Ambassador for the Human Rights of People Affected by Leprosy. His global fight against leprosy and its accompanying stigma and social discrimination is an issue to which he has remained highly committed for more than 40 years. As chairman of The Nippon Foundation, Japan's largest charitable foundation, he guides public-interest activities in modern Japan. Sasakawa received his degree from Meiji University’s School of Political Science and Economics. Sasakawa's father was businessman, politician, and philanthropist Ryōichi Sasakawa.

Leprosy stigma is a type of social stigma, a strong negative feeling towards a person with leprosy relating to their moral status in society. It is also referred to as leprosy-related stigma, leprostigma, and stigma of leprosy. Since ancient times, leprosy instilled the practice of fear and avoidance in many societies because of the associated physical disfigurement and lack of understanding behind its cause. Because of the historical trauma the word "leprosy" invokes, the disease is now referred to as Hansen's disease, named after Gerhard Armauer Hansen who discovered Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterial agent that causes Hansen's disease. Those who have suffered from Hansen's disease describe the impact of social stigma as far worse than the physical manifestations despite it being only mildly contagious and pharmacologically curable. This sentiment is echoed by Weis and Ramakrishna, who noted that "the impact of the meaning of the disease may be a greater source of suffering than symptoms of the disease".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Leprosy Mission</span>

The Leprosy Mission is a Christian international NGO. They are the largest and oldest organisation working in the fight against leprosy and are working towards the goal of zero leprosy transmission by 2035.

Leprosy currently affects approximately a quarter of a million people throughout the world, with the majority of these cases being reported from India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epidemiology of leprosy</span> Epidemiology of leprosy

Worldwide, two to three million people are estimated to be permanently disabled because of leprosy. India has the greatest number of cases, with Brazil second and Indonesia third.

There has, historically, been fear around leprosy and people with the disease have suffered stigma, isolation and social exclusion. Expulsion of individuals infected with leprosy to quarantined areas or special institutions has been the general protocol since ancient times and was the recommended course of action by the Leprosy Conference of Berlin 1897. As a result, the exclusion and quarantining of people infected with leprosy became law, hence leprosy colonies were formed. The inhabitants of these colonies had very little legal recourse in preventing their exclusion and, even after they were treated and cured, many had trouble reintegrating into society. Even by the 1960s, when leprosy was highly treatable and curable, it still resulted in repulsion, and the exclusion of sufferers, by the general populace. As leprosy became curable, the focus of study shifted towards investigating the social aspects of the disease. This has become relevant due to the fact that the disease is making a resurgence and is proving resistant to previous remedies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MORHAN</span>

MORHAN or Movement of Reintegration of Persons Afflicted by Hansen's disease in English, is a non-profit organization that operates to reduce leprosy and the stigma of leprosy in Brazil. This organization was initially created to ensure the rights of patients from leper colonies due to their isolation, and today it is one of the most successful Brazilian social movements, with representation in the National Health Council. The group has used several methods to disseminate information about leprosy including, but not limited to, handing out pamphlets, hosting seminars, and organizing puppet shows for children. Morhan also creates its own publications as a means of mobilization and news regarding leprosy. Furthermore, Morhan has worked with anthropologists to provide explanatory models and lay explanations of leprosy within the Brazilian context. Morhan's work has been exemplary in creating partnerships between social groups and the government and received an award from the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals. The current National Coordinator is Artur Custodio Moreira de Souza.

Indira Nath was an Indian immunologist. Her major contribution in medical science deals with mechanisms underlying immune unresponsiveness in man, reactions and nerve damage in leprosy and a search for markers for viability of the Leprosy bacillus. Prof. Nath's fields of specialisations are Immunology, Pathology, Medical biotechnology, and communicable diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of leprosy</span> Aspect of history

The history of leprosy was traced to its origins by an international team of 22 geneticists using comparative genomics of the worldwide distribution of Mycobacterium leprae. Monot et al. (2005) determined that leprosy originated in East Africa or the Near East and traveled with humans along their migration routes, including those of trade in goods and slaves. The four strains of M. leprae are based in specific geographic regions where each predominantly occurs:

The London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases was a collaborative disease eradication programme launched on 30 January 2012 in London. It was inspired by the World Health Organization roadmap to eradicate or prevent transmission for neglected tropical diseases by the year 2020. Officials from WHO, the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's 13 leading pharmaceutical companies, and government representatives from US, UK, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Brazil, Mozambique and Tanzania participated in a joint meeting at the Royal College of Physicians to launch this project. The meeting was spearheaded by Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, and Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest W. Price</span> British doctor and researcher

Dr Ernest Woodward Price MD, FRCSE, DTM&H, OBE was a missionary doctor, orthopaedic surgeon, leprosy specialist and the discoverer of podoconiosis, one of the neglected tropical diseases. A list of his publications is available online.

Neglected tropical diseases in India are a group of bacterial, parasitic, viral, and fungal infections that are common in low income countries but receive little funding to address them. Neglected tropical diseases are common in India.

The Kigali Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases is a global health project that aims to mobilise political and financial resources for the control and eradication of infectious diseases, the so-called neglected tropical diseases due to different parasitic infections. Launched by the Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases on 27 January 2022, it was the culmination and join commitment declared at the Kigali Summit on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) hosted by the Government of Rwanda at its capital city Kigali on 23 June 2022.

References

  1. ↑ "World Leprosy Day 2019". International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. ↑ "World Leprosy Day 2019". International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  3. ↑ "UK Coalition Against NTDs | Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network". www.ntd-ngonetwork.org. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  4. ↑ "About us | Neglected Tropical Disease NGO Network". www.ntd-ngonetwork.org. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  5. ↑ "Corporate support". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  6. ↑ "Partnerships". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  7. ↑ "Lepra". Issuu. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  8. ↑ Boyd, John S. K. (1963). "Leonard Rogers. 1868-1962". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 9: 261–285. doi: 10.1098/rsbm.1963.0014 . ISSN   0080-4606. JSTOR   769431.
  9. ↑ "Obituary".
  10. ↑ Boyd, John S. K. (1963). "Leonard Rogers. 1868-1962". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 9: 261–285. doi: 10.1098/rsbm.1963.0014 . ISSN   0080-4606. JSTOR   769431.
  11. ↑ "Dr Robert Greenhill Cochrane | International Leprosy Association - History of Leprosy". leprosyhistory.org. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "East African Leprosy Research Centre (Itesio Research Centre / Alupe) | International Leprosy Association - History of Leprosy". leprosyhistory.org. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  13. ↑ "Itesio | International Leprosy Association - History of Leprosy". leprosyhistory.org. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  14. ↑ "CIPDCR". www.kemri.org. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  15. ↑ "Treating leprosy". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  16. ↑ "WHO | WHO Multidrug therapy (MDT)". WHO. Archived from the original on 17 September 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  17. ↑ "Lepra News Winter 2014 (Special anniversary edition)". Issuu. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Lepra News Winter 2014 (Special anniversary edition)". Issuu. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  19. ↑ "Lepra News Winter 2014 (Special anniversary edition)". Issuu. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  20. ↑ Rinaldi, Andrea (December 2005). "The Global Campaign to Eliminate Leprosy". PLOS Medicine. 2 (12): e341. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020341 . ISSN   1549-1277. PMC   1322279 . PMID   16363908.
  21. ↑ "Timeline (List) | International Leprosy Association - History of Leprosy". leprosyhistory.org. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  22. ↑ "Lepra News Winter 2014 (Special anniversary edition)". Issuu. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  23. 1 2 "Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima - Bauru - São Paulo". leprev.ilsl.br. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Leprosy Review index". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  25. ↑ "Volume 88, 2017". Lepra. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  26. ↑ "Our vision, values and strategy". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  27. ↑ "LEPRA Society". LEPRA Society. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  28. ↑ "Lepra News Winter 2014 (Special anniversary edition)". Issuu. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  29. ↑ "Research". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  30. ↑ "Blue Peter Public Health and Research Centre". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  31. ↑ "Diagnosing leprosy". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  32. 1 2 3 "Health education". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  33. 1 2 "Health worker training". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  34. 1 2 "Fighting prejudice". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  35. ↑ "Is there a link between leprosy and mental health?". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  36. ↑ "Munger Referral Centre". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  37. ↑ "Advocacy". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  38. ↑ "Improving livelihoods". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  39. 1 2 "Community disability care". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  40. ↑ "Protective footwear". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  41. ↑ "Walk in my shoes". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  42. 1 2 3 "Referral centres". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  43. ↑ "Research". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  44. ↑ "Our Royal Patronage". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  45. ↑ "Our ambassadors". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  46. ↑ "Home". Victoria Hislop. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  47. ↑ "Victoria Hislop becomes Ambassador for leprosy". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  48. ↑ Today, Charity (31 October 2018). "Stuart Miles becomes a Lepra Ambassador". Charity Today News. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  49. ↑ "Stuart Paver Returns to Shoe Van Project". Lepra. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.