MMN June Mag 2026 Online - Flipbook - Page 18
partnerships that have developed.
A key long-term partner is Hope
Rises Interna琀椀onal (formerly American Leprosy Missions). HRI was
instrumental in helping LLHSC set
up its self-care training centre and
community programme.
In July 2024, the “AZAD” project
(Achieving Zero Leprosy at District
Level) was launched. It is strengthening the hospital’s services, while
also building the capacity of government health workers. The aim is
to contribute towards ending leprosy transmission, as well as to provide quality comprehensive care at
LLHSC for those already a昀昀ected
by leprosy.
HRI has also been instrumental in
suppor琀椀ng expansion of the infrastructure at LLHSC, with a view
to enabling the work to be more
sustainable long-term. A second
phase of construc琀椀on is under way,
but has been delayed by the cancelling of USAID funding. HRI has
been securing most of the funding to come from USAID; however, there has been a delay. HRI has
been securing alterna琀椀ve funding,
and we are grateful to God for
HRI’s unwavering commitment.
The project will, when completed,
provide improved training and research spaces and a new opera琀椀ng
theatre. MMN had kindly provided
17
support for new opera琀椀ng theatre
equipment, but, in view of the delay, agreed that it could go towards
a new TB clinic.
Another key partner, Sasakawa
Health Founda琀椀on, is suppor琀椀ng
the expansion of NLT’s network
of self-help groups (SHGs), to accelerate new case detec琀椀on. This
project, called “FRESH”, aims to
be a model for elimina琀椀ng leprosy using this localized approach. It
was a great honour that Mr Yohei
Sasakawa, the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimina琀椀on,
visited LLHSC for several days (see
photo), and expressed his admira琀椀on for the crucial role SHGs play
in iden琀椀fying cases and enabling
early treatment.
A recent clinical development is
to give a single preventa琀椀ve dose
of rifampicin to close contacts of
newly diagnosed pa琀椀ents. This is
easy to administer, so is ideal for
a community-based programme
like FRESH, and is in keeping with
Nepal’s Na琀椀onal Leprosy Roadmap
and Strategy.
LLHSC is also collabora琀椀ng with
several partners on nine research
projects. The 昀椀ndings will inform
na琀椀onal and interna琀椀onal research,
helping to 昀椀nd new and e昀昀ec琀椀ve
strategies to 昀椀ght leprosy.
