SSD 13 - IMPROVING THE LIVES OF LEPROSY PATIENTS
Project Location
Mother of Mercy Hospital (MMH) is a Catholic Mission Hospital belonging to the Catholic Diocese of El Obeid located in Gidel, South Kordofan. Its vision is ‘’to witness God’s love through the healing ministry by offering holistic quality healthcare services for the people of Nuba Mountains’’. It was established on the request of political and local community leaders. It was built during 2007, blessed on the 18 March 2008, received its first inpatients and outpatients on the 25 March, with the first operation on the 28 March. Since then, it has functioned as the main referral hospital for the Nuba Mountains, providing a wide range of health services to a population of over a million scattered through the region.
The Nuba Mountains are a remote and underdeveloped region of the Sudan characterized by poor health indicators and health services. In 2011 war broke out in the Nuba Mountains between the SPLM-N and the Sudanese government. The war is still going on because the people are still fighting for self determination. There are many leprosy and TB patients in Nuba Mountains due to myriad of factors: inaccessibility of health facilities, ignorance, lack of family support etc. there is little to no support for the leprosy patients who after getting treated do not have any means to continue their normal life due to mutilation caused by the sickness.
Project description
Leprosy is a subtle and mutilating disease added to the fact that is also a communicable disease. The patients face a lot of stigma and rejection and isolation in the society, this has lad to late health seeking behavior leading to spread of the disease. This effect can only be reduced by the activities stipulated in the bugdet lin such as conduct tracing, early detection, mass screening. The people need this support all life long due to the debilitating and mutilating nature of the disease but this project is for a year hopefully renewable in the next year.
The project aims to reduce misconceptions and remove stigma about TB and leprosy patients. The project is expected to positively enhance the lives of the patients in the following ways:
- Over 200 TB patients and 100 Leprosy patients are expected to be reached, and will receive treatment over the project period through the mass screening at the target villages and at key institutions like school in such targeted areas.
- Over 150 leprosy patients are expected to receive a training on life support activity and receive a specific amount/package to start that activity. This is expected to improve their lives and reduce human suffering, mainly due to mutilation
The project is expected to help those patients in greatest need in order for them to get treatment the mass screening and contact tracing will help to inform communities that treatment for conditions like TB and leprosy do exist. The projects aims for the beneficiaries of the life support training to be self-sufficient. This will enable them to sustain what they have over many years and alleviate their lives and the lives of their dependents The community is involved in the mobilization and sensitization process. The community representation is clear by the presence of the community leaders like the chiefs, village health teams and volunteers and religious leaders.
Objectives
- Reach out to needy TB and leprosy patients at target areas (Lugi, Lumon hills, Tocho, Dabi etc.) through mass screenings to reach at least 200 TB patients and 100 leprosy Patients by moving the services nearer to them.
- Create contact tracing activities in the key identified areas to reach the above set target
- Promote the living standard of the most needy leprosy patients by offering training and a package for “Life Support Activity” with the ultimate objective of self-sufficiency (a target beneficiaries 50 leprosy patients a year)
- To prevent and promote rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities.
Beneficiaries
Direct: 150 Leprosy patients both on treatment and out treatment disability and mutilated
Indirect: family and society
Referent sister of the project: sr Anita Cecilia
Project's costs