Leprosy Mission

Hunstanton Brownies learned  about the Leprosy Mission with Veronica Welham cam and discussed with us about what the Leprosy Mission does and how we can help, it was a very interesting meeting.

Our mission is to minister in the name of Jesus Christ to the physical, mental, social and spiritual needs of individuals and communities disadvantaged by leprosy; working with them to uphold human dignity and eradicate leprosy. 

The Leprosy Mission England and Wales is an international Christian development organisation which is autonomous and works as part of The Leprosy Mission's worldwide family. Our overall vision is a world without leprosy, and our priority for the future is to stay focused until the work is finished, helping people in England and Wales to understand the disease and encouraging them to support the Mission.

We are motivated by God's love and concern for people affected by leprosy as reflected in our mission statement, with a holistic view, addressing the physical, social, economic and spiritual needs of individuals and their communities. All our services are provided regardless of religion or ethnicity. Jesus' ministry inspires us that every person everywhere has a right to a hope and a future. It is unacceptable that many people affected by leprosy are denied this because of social exclusion or poverty. The Leprosy Mission works with partners in around 30 countries to bridge this gap of inequality.

We remain committed to continuing our focus on leprosy whilst strengthening our work with people with physical disabilities and those experiencing social exclusion.

What is leprosy?

It is the least contagious communicable disease. Leprosy is not highly infectious, but is probably spread by airborne droplet infection. Symptoms can take up to 20 years to show.

Leprosy starts by damaging the smaller nerves that control feeling on the skin's surface. The first outward sign of leprosy is usually loss of feeling in patches on the skin. If treated during these early stages there will be no further damage. If left untreated, leprosy then affects the trunk nerves in the elbow, wrist, neck, knee and ankle. The resulting damage can lead to loss of sensation in the hands and feet, shortened digits, clawed fingers and drop foot. Ulcers can also develop.  Loss of sensation in hands, feet and eyes means that everyday activities are fraught with danger - burns go unrecognised, wounds untended, stones in shoes and grit in the eyes go unnoticed.

Leprosy can damage the eye nerves so that the eyelid muscles stop working. If this happens the person will not be able to close their eyes, even if they try. Our eyelids normally make the eyes blink regularly to keep them moist and clean. Without this natural cleaning and protection a person can eventually become blind.

Leprosy can also damage the bones of the nose. In time this causes the nose to collapse and flatten.

Medical and lifestyle interventions are essential to prevent disability and blindness. Millions of people have visible deformities and approximately 30% of people affected by leprosy have irreversible disabilities. Work is still being carried out to develop a preventative vaccine for leprosy.

http://www.leprosymission.org.uk/default.aspx