Through your
generosity, you or your organization can
help overcome this dreadful disease.
Leprosy is a distressing
and crippling disease that attacks and undermines
the lives and livelihoods of the poor. Surveys
have shown that proportionately more people
suffer from leprosy in northern Bangladesh
than in the country as a whole. Yet leprosy
can be easily treated and the victims restored
to normal lives.
In Bangladesh, at present,
the prevalence of leprosy has declined.
It is still more that 1/10,000 mainly due
to the promotion of the message that leprosy
is a curable disease. More and more people
today are willing to ignore the negative
opinion and come forward for the treatment. |
RDRS runs 33 clinics
and laboratories in 14 upazilas (sub-district)
in Lalmonirhat district. RDRS Bangladesh,
which is a respected NGO working in the
impoverished North of the country, has been
established in 1972 and, the leprosy service
has been effective since 1981.
Early detection and treatment
is vital in controlling Leprosy. In the
leprosy control programs, RDRS Bangladesh
undertakes surveys for early detection;
case finding and registration; multi-drug
therapy; rehabilitation programs; follow-up
of default cases; community awareness; health
education and the training of volunteers.
In the year 2000 alone,
40 village doctors, 40 village elite, 34
professional doctors and 2,121 primary group
members attended awareness raising courses.
385 patients were rehabilitated by training
courses in tailoring and small businesses,
home-gardening, poultry and goat rearing.
Around 700 patients are released from treatment
each year, being cured.
To run one leprosy clinic,
treating around 50 leprosy victims for one
year costs a minimum of Taka 90,000 ($2,250).
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This cost includes
the services of trained staff and supervision,
medicines, medical equipment and health
education materials. The work also involves
educating poor rural dwellers about leprosy,
helping to identify leprosy victims for
treatment and also rehabilitating cured
sufferers. This amounts to around $50 to
identify each leprosy sufferer, cure and
rehabilitate them, restoring the life of
an individual and perhaps the whole family
to happiness.
For the sponsors of a leprosy
clinic, RDRS Bangladesh will carry out the
necessary service through its skilled and
experienced staff. In addition they will:
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