Table 4a:
1. The experiences of people living with and affected by leprosy
in Nigeria
2. Roles Organisations play in leprosy control
3. Challenges faced in leprosy settlements in Nigeria
Theme
References
1. The experiences of people living with and affected by leprosy
in Nigeria
Available funding provisions
“We get grants from the
government.”
Condition of inmates at the leper settlements and the state of the
settlements
“Been in the camp for a few years, and there’s no
indication of time to leave the camp. The lifestyle in camp is not
encouraging.”
Forms of support received
“We receive support, and the support comes
from philanthropists, organizations (like NNPC), and well-meaning
individuals. The support is always in kind (mostly food
items).”
Needs not provided in the settlement
“Food, cloth, renovate the
house, repair the water system, and better care for the
children.”
Needs provided in the settlement
“The shelter is provided but not in
good condition.”
Renovating and equipping leprosy settlements
“Renovation only happens
when the director of the settlement goes to the
authorities.”
Stigmatization
“We can’t even go out for any business, because people
are afraid to buy from us.”
2. Roles Organisations play in leprosy control
Welfare of PLWL
“I work with the Methodist church, we try to improve
their welfarism and help them resettle after being
treated”
Research, Media Advocacy, and Service Delivery
“We also do public
awareness and sensitization via traditional and modern media. Another
thing we’ve done is to bring up advocacy to the level in which the
rights of persons affected with leprosy are protected in line with the
goals of WHO of which Nigeria is a signatory. We also conduct research
to gather facts and get clarity on Leprosy control”
Programme Implementation
“Currently, we’re in about 11 states (the
Leprosy mission only). The head of programmes will answer this question
best. As the head of business, my job is to go into the communities, see
what the people need and present their needs to funders, get funding and
work with the people to implement.
Contribution of the World Health Organisation
“WHO also supports
patients with chemotherapy. A leprosy patient undergoing chemotherapy
can come down with complications and visible deformities so we provide
corticosteroids to help them manage these complications. We also provide
appropriate.”
Contribution of Non-governmental organisations
“We provide footwear
for infected persons, we also provide rehabilitative surgeries and make
sure they learn how to walk. We also provide care after cure for
patients.”
3. Challenges faced in leprosy settlements in Nigeria
Abysmal financing
“The major factor and cause of our lapses here is
funding.”
Inadequate Water Supply
There’s a problem with water, there’s a
borehole before but it has spoilt. Another answered, ” there’s not
enough resources but they are content with whatever God provides for
them”.
Irregular Support
“The community receives little to no support from
the government. The little support we get is from individuals that come
visiting and that have not been coming forth in recent
times.”
No support from the Government
“There’s no support from the
government so there’s no provision”
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