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How A NZ Charity Is Helping To 'Normalise' The 'Disease Of The Poor' In Papua New Guinea
Susana Suisuiki, Pacific Waves Presenter/Producer
One of New Zealand's long-standing charities is helping eliminate leprosy in Papua New Guinea.
The Leprosy Mission New Zealand is breaking the stigma surrounding the disease by working in partnership with 45 targeted communities in the country through its Preventative Health and Community Empowerment (PHACE) programme.
The organisation's international programmes manager Jasleen Kler told Pacific Waves that in order to tackle leprosy, which is "quite a health concern in the Pacific", health knowledge must be built at the village level.
Kler said leprosy is caused by a bacteria called the micro leprae and is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the leprosy bacteria.
"It is like a disease of the poor: where there is poverty, overcrowding, poor hygiene, sanitation, that is where leprosy thrives.
"In the Pacific now, what we see is there are more child cases."
She said that PHACE helps alleviate the pressures on the under-resourced health services in PNG.
"We are trying to build a culture of strong preventative health systems so that less people need to go to the health facilities."
This is done through regular awareness at the community level, where Leprosy Mission NZ has male and a female volunteers, and they refer patients to the nearest health posts.
"So there is a lot of awareness around leprosy, TB, malaria, maternal health, child health, immunisation, depending on the needs of the area."
According to the organisation, around 500 cases of leprosy are recorded each year in PNG.
However, it says there are thousands who go undiagnosed.
Kler told Pacific Waves that leprosy often leads to social exclusion.
"It is not easy for people affected by leprosy, or those suspected cases, to come to health facility because they fear that they will be shunned away. There is a lot of discrimination that also happens," se said.
"That is why through the PHACE programme, we raise awareness at a community level to normalise leprosy and just empower communities and the leaders to come forward if they have signs of leprosy."
The programme has a strong gender-based focus and seeks active engagement from community leaders and men to challenge discriminatory practices.
Kler said Leprosy Mission New Zealand is strongly focusing on setting up referral pathways for survivors of gender-based violence by working with a network of government and non-government agencies.
"I was recently in PNG, and I met with a wonderful volunteer who is a survivor of gender-based violence.
"Her husband struck her with a machete, and she moved from one community to another, and she was a woman affected by leprosy. So the discrimination is doubled. Now she has become a change agent, and i's referring other women to safe houses in PNG."
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