Leprosy Case Detection and Assessing Stigma & Mental Health in Potential hotspot areas in Ethiopia (LeAP-Ethiopia)
Situation:
Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, contributed to 28,800 DALYs globally in 2019. Ethiopia ranks 6th worldwide and 2nd in Africa for new cases, with the 3rd highest number of child cases globally. Despite its biopsychosocial impacts and economic toll, leprosy remains neglected in health policies and research, hindering efforts to meet the global elimination target by 2030.
Objectives:
The LeAP-Ethiopia project seeks to combat leprosy-related stigma and mental health challenges, improve early detection and treatment, enhance accessibility to services, engage communities in awareness campaigns, and provide healthcare professional training, all while promoting the health-related quality of life for affected individuals and aligning with Ethiopia’s health priorities for sustainable leprosy control.
- Reduction of leprosy-related stigma and mental health disorders
- Improvement of community awareness about the disease
- Identification of potential leprosy hotspot areas
- 2,012,000 people will benefit, including 12,000 who will receive medical screenings for leprosy and 2,000,000 who will receive anti-stigma messages through various channels like TV, radio, and community campaigns.
- 8,800 individuals, including 2,500 school children and adolescents receiving Information, Education, Communication (IEC) materials and 6,300 community members participating in awareness workshops.
- 460 people, consisting of 400 people affected by leprosy receiving self-care training and 60 healthcare workers receive training.
- 216 individuals, including 30 stakeholders (community leaders, policymakers) participating in campaigns, 180 researchers and stakeholders attending the annual conference, and 6 spiritual healers receiving training on leprosy detection and treatment referral
The LeAP Ethiopia project aims to ensure sustainability by integrating interventions into the country's existing health system, with a focus on capacity-building and ongoing progress monitoring. The project will incorporate co-creation to facilitate evidence translation and ensure lasting impact. Strengthening partnerships with local health authorities, Universities, and the private sector will aid in continuum of education by integrating into curriculum and research priorities. The project also seeks to improve leprosy case detection by integrating spiritual sites with health facilities. Context-adapted guidelines will standardize leprosy services, and a comprehensive exit strategy will be developed early to ensure smooth integration and stakeholder involvement, guaranteeing long-term sustainability.
The project is embedded in a decade-long cooperation between Jimma University and the University LMU Munich. The local health promotion needs around leprosy have been elaborated on by our local colleagues in Jimma and led to a qualification work for a promising young scientist and health promoter.
Further information:
https://ju.edu.et/
https://www.cih.lmu.de/
