Making of an Army of Leprosy Warriors and Their Great New Weapon.
Hansen’s disease or leprosy is a curable infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae. India still accounts for more than half of all new cases of leprosy in the world. But for the past two years, the decreasing number of new adult and pediatric patients have given us fresh hope.
What is crucial in this fight to lower the disease burden is early diagnosis and timely treatment with multidrug therapy. In fact, India is running the most extensive leprosy eradication program in the world. But challenges remain because of the low rates of self-reporting, low levels of awareness, and lack of knowledge.
Now, this war against leprosy is getting an army of leprosy warriors which is getting strengthened by a new weapon of mass awareness and early detection. But first, let us understand what this army is fighting against!
Symptoms of Leprosy
The first step is to know the symptoms. Common symptoms of Leprosy (Source CDC) are –
- Single or multiple whitish/pale patches involving the skin, upper airways, and peripheral nerves.
- Single or multiple nodules involving the skin, upper airways, and peripheral nerves.
- Numbness of the affected regions of skin
- Eye problems (if left untreated, can even cause blindness)
- Ulcers on soles of feet
- Blocked feeling in the nose
- Enlarged nerves (commonly around elbows, knees, and ankle)
- Muscle weakness (can lead to paralysis if not treated)
- They spread, become larger, affecting nerves, wasting muscles, causing crippling disabilities if left untreated.
How does Leprosy spread?
It spreads through droplets, from the nose and mouth, during close contact with untreated patients. Mycobacterium leprae multiplies slowly. The incubation period is five years. That means after exposure, the disease may occur even five years later.
How to fight the stigma?
Awareness around leprosy is the biggest battle to win – widespread societal awareness and acknowledgment that leprosy is just like any other bacterial infection which is completely curable, along with eradication of superstitions around leprosy – will go a long way in fighting the stigma. Knowing the symptoms, self-reporting, getting diagnosed and an understanding that timely treatment will help in complete recovery will further help in eradicating the stigma around leprosy.
A ray of hope is there – The Government of India and the Sasakawa Health Foundation are doing great work in spreading awareness, education, supporting rehabilitation, and helping fight leprosy. SHF helps in awareness, giving access to education and financial support for self-reliance to leprosy-affected persons and their families.
The weapon – Flipchart and the help it can provide in mass awareness and early detection
Flipchart is a pictorial aid for the early detection of leprosy. It is in the form of a booklet which makes for easier understanding due to its pictorial and storytelling style. The Flipchart is being distributed to community health workers (ASHA workers),
Flipchart will help ASHA workers spread awareness about the early symptoms of leprosy. With Flipchart, these leprosy warriors have an effective tool in their fight against Hansen’s disease. This army of Flipchart-wielding ASHA workers has the potential to do what we need to win this war against leprosy – mass awareness and assisted early detection.
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The many ways a Flipchart for Leprosy will help the army of Leprosy Warriors – The ASHA workers
· Showing the pictures, ASHA worker can explain the early stages of the disease.
· How it appears at first to different people
· How to get help
· Where to get help
· She can talk about free medicine available at hospitals.
· What happens if you don’t get treated on time and in the right way.
· When it has the right visuals, then things get more comfortable to explain.
· There is less chance of misunderstanding or miscommunication.
· There is also less fear and much less discrimination.
· The ASHA workers will be more confident, reading the text while showing the pictures.
An example of How Flipchart wielding ASHA worker can help – The story of Renu’s brother
When Renu’s brother Raju first noticed a white patch on his forearm, he ignored it.
He also did not shout at Renu when she slapped hard on his forearm while playing.
This got Renu worried. She had seen Meena di, the ASHA worker in their village, showing a colorful book with pictures similar to the patch on Raju’s forearm. She discussed it with her mother and then decided to call Meena di home for advice.
Seeing the patch on Raju’s forearm, Meena di gently pinched it and asked a few questions. She then advised them to visit Dr. Natesh at the village PHC the next morning.
Dr. Natesh performed a few tests and confirmed that Raju had contracted leprosy, and he would need to take medicine, which will be given free of cost, for six months to get fully cured. Everyone was relieved and thanked Meena di profusely.
But Meena di was thinking about how Renu had seen her Flipchart and taken note of it. When she discussed this with her supervisor, s/he decided to give flipcharts to all ASHA workers working in the area.
Takeaways
The burden of leprosy can only be reduced by early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Awareness at the community level, using the Flipchart will help in fighting Hansen’s disease. A picture speaks a thousand words. Please share this blog post and help. Help us in the fight against this disease.