ILEP Activities
The following ILEP Members are supporting anti-leprosy activities in Angola:
- Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau (AIFO)
- American Leprosy Missions (ALM)
- LEPRA Health in Action (LEPRA)
- Netherlands Leprosy Relief (NLR)
- Fontilles Lucha contra la Lepra (SF)
- Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation (SJ)
- The Leprosy Mission International (TLMI)
Below are descriptions of some of the activities of some of these Members.
Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau
Amici Italiana di Raoul Follereau set up a rural health clinic in Kilamba Kiaxe municipality with support from Italian co-operation. AIFO help finance the activities organised by ALM at the Funda Leprosy Hospital, where people affected by leprosy play an important role in creating awareness about leprosy. AIFO is supporting the Luanda Provincial Leprosy Control Programme, developing a referral centre and documentation centre for leprosy. Three other projects are supported in Saurimo-Lunda Sul Province, Kangola, Uige Province and Chiulo in Kunene Province.
American Leprosy Missions
American Leprosy Missions began supporting leprosy doctors and hospitals in Angola over fifty years ago when it helped to set up medical and educational institutions to help people in the highlands of central Angola. Today, in conjunction with the Angolan National Leprosy Program and other churches, ALM is working to reduce the prevalence of leprosy through training and multi-drug therapy and to reduce stigma through prevention of disability training, health education, socio-economic programmes and participatory community development programmes. ALM is funding five projects monitored by TLMI. The support to the National Programme, to the Association of People Affected by Leprosy (ARPAL), and to three church groups (IESA, IEIA and IECA) working in six Provinces (Benguela, Huambo, Huila, Namibe, Lunda Sul and Kuando Kubango).
LEPRA Health in Action
In 2001 LEPRA Health in Action decided to support anti-leprosy work in the province of Moxico, one of the areas most severely affected by the civil war, at which point the number of visible deformities to hands, feet or eyes due to leprosy ranked third highest in the world. They have also provided jeeps, motorcycles and bicycles so that health workers can reach patients. The provision of bicycles has been shown to increase the number of patients completing leprosy and tuberculosis treatment. Today LEPRA is working in Lunda Sul Province.
To ensure that information about tuberculosis and leprosy reaches the entire community, LEPRA has been helping provide health education activities for teachers, religious leaders and traditional healers.
Netherlands Leprosy Relief
The National Leprosy and Tuberculosis Control Program in Angola receives financial support from Netherlands Leprosy Relief for the training of medical personnel, the purchase of medical kits and vehicles to be able to reach patients in remote area and materials for World Leprosy Day for example. NLR is funding such work in three Provinces (Kuanza Norte, Kuanza Sul and Malange). It is also providing institutional support at national level.
Fontilles Lucha contra la Lepra
Fontilles Lucha contra la Lepra is supporting a project in Uige Province to provide basic health care, prevention of deformity, treatment and cure of leprosy and is also developing two referral units in the Province.
Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation
Apart from its support to the WHO and the National Programme, the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation is providing Prednipac for the treatment of leprosy reactions and neuritis as well as copies of the New Atlas of Leprosy, which is used in the training of staff who care for people affected by leprosy.
The Leprosy Mission International
Kalossombeucua Rehabilitation Centre, which is on the outskirts of Benguela, was opened in 2005 as a result of TLMI funding. It treats people affected by leprosy alongside other people affected by disability. In 2006 a new assessment of disability was introduced, which lead to am improvement in the supervision of activities and assessment of progress made during the rehabilitation process and 56 health education talks were given in six health centres. It has developed a network with the eight health facilities in five municipalities of Benguela Province.
TLMI, in a new Alliance with ALM, is monitoring all ALM supported programmes as well as a Rehabilitation Centre in Benguela Province and developing prevention of disability self-care groups and referral units in six Provinces.