June 14, 2010
American Leprosy Missions Field Staff at Cutting Edge of Buruli Ulcer
Disability Prevention and Treatment
New Educational Materials Developed by ALM
Welcomed by World Health Organization
Greenville, S.C. - ALM’s field staff is leading the attack against Buruli ulcer, a neglected tropical disease that destroys flesh and bone, causing permanent physical pain and social stigmatization. It aggravates poverty and causes immense suffering and disabilities, especially among children.
Buruli ulcer is caused by a flesh-destroying germ that belongs to the same family of organisms that cause leprosy and tuberculosis. It has been reported in more than 30 countries; approximately 70% of its victims are children under age 15. Early diagnosis and treatment are vital to prevent deformity, long-term disability and sometimes life-threatening secondary infections.
ALM’s world-renowned experts on Buruli ulcer and leprosy recently attended the World Health Organization's Global Buruli Ulcer Initiative annual meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. American Leprosy Missions and its partners were key contributors at the conference, especially ALM Technical Consultant Linda Lehman.
Linda and ALM are looking for donors to help the thousands of children, women and men suffering from Buruli ulcer.
Funds will be used to provide POD educational materials for community health workers and primary school teachers in remote parts of Ivory Coast, Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Buruli ulcer, Dr. Paul Saunderson, had the idea to create simple, durable materials that people with little training could use to teach communities and patients afflicted with Buruli ulcer how to detect the disease and prevent disabilities. The “10 Tasks for people affected by Buruli ulcer who want to prevent disability” flip charts in French and English were tested in community programs in Ivory Coast in 2009 and Ghana in 2010. Community health workers were astonished at how quickly they could see positive results from using the flip charts to educate patients on how to take care of their ulcers. Demand for the materials was so high that ALM decided to rush the production of thousands of charts. These materials were then officially launched at the recent WHO conference in Geneva to great acclaim.
“We are so pleased with the Buruli ulcer flips charts on prevention of disability,” says Dr. Kingsley Asiedu, Medical Officer in charge of Buruli ulcer at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. “We are eager to get them into affected communities as soon as possible to start making a difference in people’s lives and in the fight against Buruli ulcer. Educating people on how to detect the disease and how to prevent disability is one of the major goals of the WHO Buruli Ulcer Initiative and ALM’s flips charts will play an important role in this effort.”
Each flip chart will reduce the risk of disabilities that may afflict children for the rest of their lives. Children like this girl in Ivory Coast are receiving life-altering treatment thanks to support from ALM’s faithful donors. But there are thousands more facing physical, social, psychological and economic devastation due to Buruli ulcer.
Training in early detection and treatment is crucial. Linda Lehman’s flip charts are a key weapon in the fight against disabilities caused by Buruli ulcer. With the support of donors, the educational materials developed by Linda Lehman and ALM will reach communities affected by Buruli ulcer and prevent disabilities.
Please help us to prevent disabilities and to transform the lives of God’s children suffering from Buruli ulcer with your gift today.