OUR PROGRAMMES - BANGLADESH

Chittagong Urban Project

TLM has been working in the greater Chittagong District for over 10 years and has seen both a significant drop in leprosy in the District and the successful training of the local health workers in the rural parts of the District. However there is still much work to be done in this city with a population of over 2,000,000. The project is designed to build the capacity of the urban health services so that they diagnose and treat leprosy. Special emphasis is being given to raising leprosy awareness in the overcrowded textile workshops and the ship breaking yards along the coast, north of the city.

VASS funding: $4 for $1 donated

Chittagong Community-Based Rehabilitation

In excess of two thousand leprosy disabled people have been identified in the Chittagong District over the last 10 years. This project has been designed to address the needs of the leprosy disabled and includes self care groups and the development of a self governing clinic to treat ulcers and other medical problems arising from leprosy disability. Now in the second year there are 33 self-help groups operating with 240 members.

VASS funding: $4 for $1 donated

Chittagong Hill Tracts Programme

This project is now in its fourth year and is designed to raise awareness of leprosy and other infectious diseases in the most difficult part of Bangladesh, both physically and socially. The Hill Tracts are the only significant mountainous part of Bangladesh, which makes communications and transport very difficult. In addition the indigenous tribal inhabitants have been opposing migration of lowland Bangla migrants for over 30 years. Despite these challenges the project has significantly raised awareness of leprosy, malaria, and diarrhoea. A recent evaluation of the project reported that 83% of the people surveyed knew about leprosy and that 61% had learnt about the disease as a result of the project. Nearly 1,400 people have been treated for leprosy since the project started compared to less than 500 in the four years before the project.

VASS funding: $4 for $1 donated