KIT Blog

by Francisco da Costa

The Leprosy Mission Timor Leste

Edited by Eva Lee

Timor Leste reached leprosy elimination (less than one case per 10,000 population) in 2011. However, over the past few years new cases have been increasing. The Leprosy Mission Timor Leste continues in partnership with the Government to work towards leprosy elimination and reduced leprosy-related disability in high- endemic districts, particularly in Dili, Baucau, and Oecusse.

Although leprosy persists in these districts, there continues to be little knowledge amongst medical practitioners in its diagnosis, treatment and management. As a result, cases of leprosy continue to go undetected in the community resulting in preventable permanent disabilities. Additionally, training in medical treatment for leprosy is not provided during formal medical training.

As leprosy cases continue to occur in various locations across the country and patients attend various health settings, it is important that a wide range of practitioners are provided with leprosy training.

To target this skill gap, the Improved Leprosy Services project conducted training for medical practitioners. The timing of the training was chosen strategically to coincide with the time between graduation and medical practitioner allocation. This allowed for maximizing the number of new graduates in addition to existing medical practitioners available to attend. Once graduates are allocated a medical placement, they will disburse across the country and would be difficult to regather for training.

The 4 day training provided participants with knowledge on how to identify leprosy, treat leprosy reactions and medical management for the condition. One of the participants, Doctor Florinda who works as a medical practitioner in a private clinic in Dili stated, ‘Before I joined the training, I never knew about leprosy reactions.

I did not know why patients developed deformity and disability.

“Now I am able to monitor and handle the complications related to leprosy’.

Now equipped with this knowledge, Doctor Florinda and other medical practitioners can utilize their new knowledge within their respective workplaces across the country, thus ensuring that patients with leprosy can receive earlier diagnosis and treatment.

There are plans to conduct this training each year to ensure future new graduates are equipped with adequate leprosy knowledge.

Pray for doctors and medical staff such as Doctor Florinda that they will be able to put this training to vital use in diagnosing and treating patients with leprosy. Pray that their intervention will mean less disability, less leprosy, and more transformed lives.

Pray for the Improved Leprosy Services project to continue to find new cases, train more people and provide better outcomes for people diagnosed and suffering the effects of leprosy.

Thank God for your kindness. If you would like to support the Improved Leprosy Services

project please DONATE TODAY* by contacting FREECALL 1800 537 767 or go to:

https://www.leprosymission.org.au/projects/improved-leprosy-services

The Improved Leprosy Services Project supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). Thanks to ANCP, this project is able to help improve the well-being of people affected by leprosy in Timor-Leste.