Friends of the Ramakrishna Vivekanada Mission

Despite the availability of effective treatment the WHO think leprosy has been increasing steadily

• Global statistics ( WHO 2006 )

• Africa – 40,830 America – 32,994 South East Asia – 133,422 Middle East – 4,024 Western Pacific – 8,646 Brazil – 79,908 Mozambique – 6,810 Nepal – 7,549 Tanzania – 5,420

Caused by an organism known as Mycobacterium Leprae

It is difficult to transmit and not hereditary. Thought to be airborne in moisture such as coughing and sneezing. First sign can be swelling in different parts of the body and change of skin structure (patches)

There is no need to segregate sufferers.

Effective medication exists and most people are immune.

Symptoms appear long after contracting the disease.

2 main types – tuberculoid and lepromatous.

Tuberculoid develops swelling in different parts of body – most obvious is in the face.

Lepromatous is more infectious, causes ulcers and often loss of body parts.

There are also further subdivisions of types.

Our leprosy care projects:

· We have been sponsoring 10 children for full maintenance from families of leprosy sufferers. They receive residential care at different branches of the RV Mission and we provide them with education, healthcare, vocational training and employment when they leave school and help them to settle in normal social life. This project had been sponsored by the Order of St Lazarus, Lancashire branch.

· We have installed a water purification unit at the medical unit of the Believers’ Church, Purulia, West Bengal, India, to provide purified drinking water for leprosy sufferers.

· We have funded installation of tube-wells in Leprosy Village and Leprosy Colony in Purulia to provide the residents with fresh water for drinking and other purposes.

· Our ongoing regular nutritional project provides the residents of Leprosy Village with fresh food including fruits and vegetables.

· We sponsor carers from Believers’ Church, Purulia to visit Leprosy Village regularly to look after the residents’ wound dressing and first-aid needs.

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