A dressing kit for a leprosy patient in South India

Fighting leprosy

requires a lot of bandages and a lot of patience

It was a shock for Kumar when he found out at the age of 16 that he had leprosy. To spare his family the shame, he tried to keep the disease a secret for as long as possible. He also got tuberculosis. When he was lying in his hut, paralyzed on one side, his family called for help. After a stay in the leprosy hospital, he was able to walk and go home. With continued care, instructions on how to help yourself and a financial injection, Kumar managed to get well and is now the proud owner of a small backpack factory. The leprosy hospital in Kathipudi is the contact point for all those affected within a 300 km radius.

need

Dressings for leprosy patients

activity

First aid kits are purchased

Measurable performance

Number of patients who were able to receive a dressing kit

Result

Measurable reduction in infections in leprosy patients through improved wound hygiene

Systemically relevant impact

The measure improves the quality of life of leprosy sufferers. They receive resocialization and help to help themselves. After successful treatment, many of them can earn their own living and are reintegrated into village society.

background

Leprosy, also known as "leprosy" in the Middle Ages, was a disease in both Christianity and other religions for which the sufferers themselves were held responsible. Punished for their sins, they were mutilated by God and cast out by society. Even though education in recent decades has been very successful, combating this terrible stigma is still an important task of any leprosy work. The disease is still a major problem in India. Thanks to the work of many NGOs and the Indian government, the number of sufferers has decreased. However, this fact has led to the disease being neglected and at one point the eradication of leprosy has even been announced.

The good deed

Leprosy patients do not notice when they injure themselves. They step on thorns and glass splinters, and women in particular often scald themselves with hot water when cooking or get burns from hot pans. Wound treatment is difficult without hygienic facilities and without dressing material. Often the only measure used is to tie an old rag around the wound. The consequences of an infection are the most common cause of death among leprosy patients. That is why it is so important to support wound care at home.

AboutIndia