Ipiranga Committee, Labrea
Medical facilities are scarce for people living in the rural River Purus area. The Ipiranga Committee Association, led by Dr Antonia Lopez Gonzalez (Dr Tony), operates in the River Purus area. Her team, supported by SFLG, reaches people that otherwise could not be found by navigating along the river in a hospital boat. Thousands of cases of leprosy are diagnosed each year.
Dr Tony's team evaluates suspected cases of leprosy, raises awareness, and trains care assistants in every village they visit. They also provide physiotherapy, orthopaedic support, shoes, education campaigns, and school fees.
Rural settlement along the Purus River (a tributary of the Amazon River) visited by Dr Tony
We live in intense and complicated times, but we work with passion and determination. Only last year, we celebrated 30 years since we started our mission in this part of the Amazon. We can do it thanks to our friends like St Francis Leprosy Guild" said Dr Tony.
Dr Tony Lopez Gonzalez
