In Sri Lanka, as elsewhere, there is a great stigma attached to leprosy. Against this background, FAIRMED has to resort to unconventional methods in its efforts to combat the disease. Our deputy marketing director David Maurer was on the ground to see for himself how we accomplish this task.
Well-equipped delivery rooms, medicines and skilled staff are needed for women to be able to bring their babies into this world without complications. The first step to a safe birth begins with the communication of knowledge. You can read here about how FAIRMED is supporting mothers in the Nepalese region of Baglung through awareness-raising campaigns.
The indigenous Aka in the Central African Republic are extremely poor and the victims of open discrimination. FAIRMED employee and ethnologist Johanna Vögeli experienced first-hand how they brave their situation and the role of community in this struggle.
Although India announced the elimination of leprosy as a public health issue as far back as 2005, experts now fear a resurgence of the disease. Above all in rural areas, efforts to eradicate the disease still have a long way to go.
Political upheavals shake Sri Lanka: The situation in Colombo remains tense following the dismissal of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the appointment of ex-President Mahinda Rajapakse as the new head of government. FAIRMED country coordinator Nayani Suriyarachchi gives an insight into the situation on the ground.
FAIRMED Managing Director René Stäheli and Programme Director Bart Vander Plaetse recently travelled to Cameroon to meet with the local population, local authorities and other parties to plan the new phase of the FAIRMED project in Abong-Mbang. The trip was a reminder that a great deal of work remains to be done, above all with respect to the severe discrimination faced by the indigenous Baka
The annual statistics of the World Health Organization WHO show that a total of 210,671 new leprosy cases were diagnosed in 2017, representing a decline of two percent over the previous year. As positive as this may seem, it remains open as to whether this is a welcome development.
Early discovery of new cases is crucial to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). FAIRMED's projects are no exception. Bankim project coordinator Ferdinand Mou explains the difficulties involved.
FAIRMED is breaking new ground: In a pilot project, FAIRMED has joined forces with the Bern-based company NGO Solafrica and their partner organisation AJVC to install a solar refrigerator in Bankim district hospital. This will allow the precious vaccines stored in the building to remain cool at all times.
In cooperation with the government, FAIRMED is working hard to combat leprosy in Sri Lanka. Measures aimed at raising awareness among affected communities are a key component of these activities. And throughout, our employees will not be put off by storms, blocked roads or power outages in their efforts to fulfil their mission. A ground report.