The Leprosy Mission
Encyclopedia
The Leprosy Mission is an international Christian
charity working towards the eradication of the causes and consequences of leprosy
. It is active in over 50 countries around the world.
The Leprosy Mission is a member of ILEP (International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations) and Global Connections
, a network of mission and development
agencies.
in India
, came across a row of huts inhabited by men and women with serious disabilities and physical deformities. A colleague explained that they were suffering from leprosy. Bailey was shocked by what he saw. Afterwards he wrote:'I almost shuddered, yet I was at the same time fascinated, and I felt that if there was ever a Christlike work in the world it was to go amongst these poor sufferers and bring them the consolation of the gospel.'
On returning to Ireland
in 1874, Wellesley Bailey and his wife Alice began to hold meetings in Dublin to tell friends about their experiences of people affected by leprosy in India, and to raise money'. And so The Leprosy Mission, or The Mission to Lepers as it was known then, was born.
1874-1893 – The Baileys travel extensively in India to see the need of people affected by leprosy and to encourage support work.
1891 – Wellesley Bailey visited Mandalay
, Burma, to open the first TLM home for leprosy-affected people outside India.
1917 – The Mission had extended its work throughout India and the Far East
, and had 87 programmes in 12 countries, with support offices in eight countries.
1940s - In South India, Dr Paul Brand
pioneered medical research and reconstructive surgery on leprosy deformities in hands and feet.
1940s-50s - The first effective cure for leprosy, Dapsone
, is introduced. Over the next 15 years, millions of patients are successfully treated.
1950s – The Mission’s work extended into Africa
.
1954 - World Leprosy Day founded by Raoul Follereau, a French writer, to make sure that people everywhere know that leprosy, one of the most feared and stigmatised diseases known to man, still exists and is completely curable. It is usually held each year on the last Sunday in January.
1960s - Leprologists work to discover new drugs that are effective against leprosy as many people are discovered to have Dapsone-resistant leprosy.
1965 – The Mission changed its name from 'The Mission to Lepers' to The Leprosy Mission to avoid the negative connotations of the word ‘leper’.
1970s – TLM began to extend its work to people's homes and communities, rather than just hospitals and asylums.
1981 – World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a new combination drug treatment for leprosy, MDT (Multi Drug Therapy). People are cured in as little as six months.
1990s – As many more people are cured, caring for people with lasting disabilities through social, economic and physical rehabilitation becomes increasingly important.
It runs leprosy projects and has staff in 28 countries in Africa, South Asia and East Asia Pacific.
A large percentage of TLM's work is focused on India, where the prevalence of leprosy is still high.
Support offices, which raise funds for TLM's work and invest in the development of the field projects, operate in 26 countries, including Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The International Office is based in London
.
of leprosy. Historically, people have been very fearful of contracting leprosy, believing it to be highly contagious
when this is not the case.
Reconstructive surgery: Leprosy attacks the nerves, and if not treated quickly people can lose sensation in their hands and feet leading to injury and disability. The Leprosy Mission provides reconstructive surgery
for leprosy-affected people, restoring movement to hands and feet. Dr Paul Brand
pioneered tendon transfer surgery which is still used by TLM doctors today.
is widespread. Because leprosy can cause disability, and because stigma is so often attached to the disease, leprosy can make poor people poorer.
Along with essential healthcare, The Leprosy Mission provides training and education for leprosy-affected people.
Children whose parents have leprosy, or who have had leprosy themselves, can benefit from school scholarship programmes. TLM pays for the child's schooling, allowing them to gain an education that they otherwise may have missed out on.
TLM has six vocational training centres in India. Here, teenagers and young adults can learn a skill like tailoring, car mechanics, or IT.
At other projects in Africa and other parts of Asia
, TLM provides skills training through workshops or one-to-one teaching to enable people to learn a trade with the hope that, in the long term, they will be better equipped to provide for themselves and their families.
becausae dirt or bacteria
get in.
In most of its projects, The Leprosy Mission teaches what's called 'self-care'. Physiotherapists and Prevention of Disability advisors are on-hand to demonstrate how washing, soaking and oiling skin daily can help prevent infection. This process can also ensure that small cuts do not develop into larger, more difficult-to-treat, ulcers.
loans to those leprosy-affected people in need of economic assistance. These loans enable people to set up a small business, such as small shops, animal breeding, tailoring or petty trading.
Low Cost Houses are a way of improving the living conditions of leprosy-affected people. The Leprosy Mission provides the materials. The community, or a group of volunteers, provides the manpower to complete the building project. TLM often works with international charity Habitat for Humanity to develop housing projects such as these.
In some countries where TLM works, savings groups (or self-help groups) have been established. The members of these groups are encouraged to save a small amount of money each week. The money is then placed into a kitty. The kitty can then be used by the group as a whole - to set up a group business or a community project - or members can apply for an individual loan from the group.
is another aspect of The Leprosy Mission's work. When necessary, TLM will lobby governments in countries where there is any remaining anti-leprosy legislation, keeping up the pressure until the law
s are repealed.
TLM educates people about leprosy, explaining that it's not highly contagious, that it's not a curse
from the gods and that it can be cured. This is an effective way of reducing negative attitudes and encouraging greater acceptance of leprosy-affected people.
TLM also encourages leprosy-affected people to speak out for themselves and their rights.
's office is based in Richmond Hill
, near Toronto
, Ontario
. This office raises funds for many TLM projects around the world, with a special focus on India, Bangladesh
, and Myanmar
. Also, TLM Canada raises awareness of leprosy in Canada and educates Canadians about leprosy
. TLM Canada also has a special program for churches to participate in on World Leprosy Day each year.
2. Secours aux Lepreux - Leprosy Relief Canada
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
charity working towards the eradication of the causes and consequences of leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
. It is active in over 50 countries around the world.
The Leprosy Mission is a member of ILEP (International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations) and Global Connections
Global Connections
Global Connections is a charitable organisation acting as a UK network of mission agencies, churches, colleges and support agencies involved in evangelism around the world...
, a network of mission and development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
agencies.
History
In December 1869, Wellesley Bailey, a young Irishman who was working as a teacher in the PunjabPunjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, came across a row of huts inhabited by men and women with serious disabilities and physical deformities. A colleague explained that they were suffering from leprosy. Bailey was shocked by what he saw. Afterwards he wrote:'I almost shuddered, yet I was at the same time fascinated, and I felt that if there was ever a Christlike work in the world it was to go amongst these poor sufferers and bring them the consolation of the gospel.'
On returning to Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
in 1874, Wellesley Bailey and his wife Alice began to hold meetings in Dublin to tell friends about their experiences of people affected by leprosy in India, and to raise money'. And so The Leprosy Mission, or The Mission to Lepers as it was known then, was born.
1874-1893 – The Baileys travel extensively in India to see the need of people affected by leprosy and to encourage support work.
1891 – Wellesley Bailey visited Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
, Burma, to open the first TLM home for leprosy-affected people outside India.
1917 – The Mission had extended its work throughout India and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, and had 87 programmes in 12 countries, with support offices in eight countries.
1940s - In South India, Dr Paul Brand
Paul Brand
Dr. Paul Wilson Brand, CBE was a pioneer in developing tendon transfer techniques for use in the hands of those with leprosy. He was the first physician to appreciate that leprosy did not cause the rotting away of tissues, but that it was the loss of the sensation of pain which made sufferers...
pioneered medical research and reconstructive surgery on leprosy deformities in hands and feet.
1940s-50s - The first effective cure for leprosy, Dapsone
Dapsone
Dapsone is a medication most commonly used in combination with rifampicin and clofazimine as multidrug therapy for the treatment of Mycobacterium leprae infections . It is also second-line treatment for prophylaxis against Pneumocystis pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci Dapsone...
, is introduced. Over the next 15 years, millions of patients are successfully treated.
1950s – The Mission’s work extended into Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
1954 - World Leprosy Day founded by Raoul Follereau, a French writer, to make sure that people everywhere know that leprosy, one of the most feared and stigmatised diseases known to man, still exists and is completely curable. It is usually held each year on the last Sunday in January.
1960s - Leprologists work to discover new drugs that are effective against leprosy as many people are discovered to have Dapsone-resistant leprosy.
1965 – The Mission changed its name from 'The Mission to Lepers' to The Leprosy Mission to avoid the negative connotations of the word ‘leper’.
1970s – TLM began to extend its work to people's homes and communities, rather than just hospitals and asylums.
1981 – World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a new combination drug treatment for leprosy, MDT (Multi Drug Therapy). People are cured in as little as six months.
1990s – As many more people are cured, caring for people with lasting disabilities through social, economic and physical rehabilitation becomes increasingly important.
Where The Leprosy Mission works
TLM is a global network; the organisation works with governments, communities, local churches, partner health organisations, WHO, and other non-governmental organisations.It runs leprosy projects and has staff in 28 countries in Africa, South Asia and East Asia Pacific.
A large percentage of TLM's work is focused on India, where the prevalence of leprosy is still high.
Support offices, which raise funds for TLM's work and invest in the development of the field projects, operate in 26 countries, including Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The International Office is based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Hospitals and Healthcare
The Leprosy Mission runs 14 hospitals in India. Although these hospitals were initially established to care exclusively for people with leprosy, they are now being developed into community hospitals, providing a wide range of health care services. It is becoming more common for people who have leprosy to be treated on the same wards as those with general medical conditions. This helps to breakdown the stigmaLeprosy stigma
Leprosy stigma is a kind of social stigma, a strong feeling that a leprosy patient is shameful and is not accepted normally in society. Also called leprosy related stigma, leprostigma and stigma of leprosy.-Stigma:...
of leprosy. Historically, people have been very fearful of contracting leprosy, believing it to be highly contagious
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
when this is not the case.
Reconstructive surgery: Leprosy attacks the nerves, and if not treated quickly people can lose sensation in their hands and feet leading to injury and disability. The Leprosy Mission provides reconstructive surgery
Reconstructive surgery
Reconstructive surgery is, in its broadest sense, the use of surgery to restore the form and function of the body, although Maxillo-Facial Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons and Otolaryngologists do reconstructive surgery on faces after trauma and to reconstruct the head and neck after cancer.Other...
for leprosy-affected people, restoring movement to hands and feet. Dr Paul Brand
Paul Brand
Dr. Paul Wilson Brand, CBE was a pioneer in developing tendon transfer techniques for use in the hands of those with leprosy. He was the first physician to appreciate that leprosy did not cause the rotting away of tissues, but that it was the loss of the sensation of pain which made sufferers...
pioneered tendon transfer surgery which is still used by TLM doctors today.
Training and Education
Leprosy is found predominantly in developing countries and areas where povertyPoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
is widespread. Because leprosy can cause disability, and because stigma is so often attached to the disease, leprosy can make poor people poorer.
Along with essential healthcare, The Leprosy Mission provides training and education for leprosy-affected people.
Children whose parents have leprosy, or who have had leprosy themselves, can benefit from school scholarship programmes. TLM pays for the child's schooling, allowing them to gain an education that they otherwise may have missed out on.
TLM has six vocational training centres in India. Here, teenagers and young adults can learn a skill like tailoring, car mechanics, or IT.
At other projects in Africa and other parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, TLM provides skills training through workshops or one-to-one teaching to enable people to learn a trade with the hope that, in the long term, they will be better equipped to provide for themselves and their families.
Disability care and Prevention
Once a leprosy-affected person has lost feeling in their limbs or hands or feet, holding a hot cup, stepping on a nail, or getting too close to a fire, can cause injuries they may not notice. Then the wound becomes infectedInfection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
becausae dirt or bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
get in.
In most of its projects, The Leprosy Mission teaches what's called 'self-care'. Physiotherapists and Prevention of Disability advisors are on-hand to demonstrate how washing, soaking and oiling skin daily can help prevent infection. This process can also ensure that small cuts do not develop into larger, more difficult-to-treat, ulcers.
Community Development and Income Generation
The Leprosy Mission provides MicrocreditMicrocredit
Microcredit is the extension of very small loans to those in poverty designed to spur entrepreneurship. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit...
loans to those leprosy-affected people in need of economic assistance. These loans enable people to set up a small business, such as small shops, animal breeding, tailoring or petty trading.
Low Cost Houses are a way of improving the living conditions of leprosy-affected people. The Leprosy Mission provides the materials. The community, or a group of volunteers, provides the manpower to complete the building project. TLM often works with international charity Habitat for Humanity to develop housing projects such as these.
In some countries where TLM works, savings groups (or self-help groups) have been established. The members of these groups are encouraged to save a small amount of money each week. The money is then placed into a kitty. The kitty can then be used by the group as a whole - to set up a group business or a community project - or members can apply for an individual loan from the group.
Advocacy
Advocating for people's human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
is another aspect of The Leprosy Mission's work. When necessary, TLM will lobby governments in countries where there is any remaining anti-leprosy legislation, keeping up the pressure until the law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
s are repealed.
TLM educates people about leprosy, explaining that it's not highly contagious, that it's not a curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
from the gods and that it can be cured. This is an effective way of reducing negative attitudes and encouraging greater acceptance of leprosy-affected people.
TLM also encourages leprosy-affected people to speak out for themselves and their rights.
The Leprosy Mission England and Wales
This is a regional office, based in Peterborough. It is part of TLM's global network, raising money and providing support to projects in many of the countries where TLM works.The Leprosy Mission Northern Ireland
TLM Northern Ireland's office is based in Lisburn. Much of TLM's support here comes from local churches.The Leprosy Mission Scotland
TLM Scotland's offices are based in Stirling. This regional office raises funds for many TLM projects around the world, and raises awareness of leprosy and TLM's work in Scotland.The Leprosy Mission Canada
TLM CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's office is based in Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
, near Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. This office raises funds for many TLM projects around the world, with a special focus on India, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. Also, TLM Canada raises awareness of leprosy in Canada and educates Canadians about leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
. TLM Canada also has a special program for churches to participate in on World Leprosy Day each year.
TLM Trading
This is TLM's trading arm, sourcing and selling many goods made by leprosy- or disability-affected people.See also
1. Netherlands Leprosy ReliefNetherlands Leprosy Relief
Netherlands Leprosy Relief - non-profit association promoting and supporting the eradication of leprosy and all its consequences in endemic countries...
2. Secours aux Lepreux - Leprosy Relief Canada