Countries where we work - BRAZIL
The white dot below indicates the location of the our leprosy work in Brazil.
Associaçao Comite Ipiranga centre, Labrea, Brazil
Brazil is a WHO Global Priority Country for leprosy. 28,000 people were newly diagnosed there with leprosy in the latest reporting period. This is the second highest number of people diagnosed with leprosy worldwide.
Labrea, is located on the Purus tributary of the Amazon. Dr Antonia Lopaz Gonzalez uses a hospital boat to visit villages along the River Purus to find and treat new cases of leprosy. Her team evaluates cases, raises awareness and provides training for care assistants in every village visited. They also provide physiotherapy, orthopaedic support, shoes, education campaigns and school fees.
While the Brazilian government provides some funding, the centre remains dependent on external funding, much of it raised personally by Dr Tony on her annual visits to Europe.
SFLG's support grant has resulted in the recruitment and training of over 3,000 leprosy healthcare assistants and a health agent network providing medical services and care to a population of 190,000 in the Purus River Valley.
Future plans are to build a laboratory to carry out analyses, an orthopaedic support centre, English publication of a guide to tropical dermatopathology and publication of the Drawings For Hope children's book.
Brazil is a WHO Global Priority Country for leprosy. 28,000 people were newly diagnosed there with leprosy in the latest reporting period. This is the second highest number of people diagnosed with leprosy worldwide.
Labrea, is located on the Purus tributary of the Amazon. Dr Antonia Lopaz Gonzalez uses a hospital boat to visit villages along the River Purus to find and treat new cases of leprosy. Her team evaluates cases, raises awareness and provides training for care assistants in every village visited. They also provide physiotherapy, orthopaedic support, shoes, education campaigns and school fees.
While the Brazilian government provides some funding, the centre remains dependent on external funding, much of it raised personally by Dr Tony on her annual visits to Europe.
SFLG's support grant has resulted in the recruitment and training of over 3,000 leprosy healthcare assistants and a health agent network providing medical services and care to a population of 190,000 in the Purus River Valley.
Future plans are to build a laboratory to carry out analyses, an orthopaedic support centre, English publication of a guide to tropical dermatopathology and publication of the Drawings For Hope children's book.
