How A NZ Charity Is Helping To ‘Normalise’ The ‘Disease Of The Poor’ In Papua New Guinea

Susana
Suisuiki, Pacific Waves
Presenter/Producer

One of New Zealand’s long-standing
charities is helping eliminate leprosy in Papua New
Guinea.

The Leprosy
Mission New Zealand is breaking the stigma surrounding
the disease by working in partnership with 45 targeted
communities in the country through its Preventative Health
and Community Empowerment (PHACE) programme.

The
organisation’s international programmes manager Jasleen Kler
told Pacific Waves that in order to tackle leprosy,
which is “quite a health concern in the Pacific”, health
knowledge must be built at the village level.

Kler
said leprosy is caused by a bacteria called the micro leprae
and is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the
leprosy bacteria.

“It is like a disease of the poor:
where there is poverty, overcrowding, poor hygiene,
sanitation, that is where leprosy thrives.

“In the
Pacific now, what we see is there are more child
cases.”

She said that PHACE helps alleviate the
pressures on the under-resourced health services in
PNG.

“We are trying to build a culture of strong
preventative health systems so that less people need to go
to the health facilities.”

This is done through
regular awareness at the community level, where Leprosy
Mission NZ has male and a female volunteers, and they refer
patients to the nearest health posts.

“So there is a
lot of awareness around leprosy, TB, malaria, maternal
health, child health, immunisation, depending on the needs
of the area.”

According to the organisation, around
500 cases of leprosy are recorded each year in
PNG.

However, it says there are thousands who go
undiagnosed.

Kler told Pacific Waves that
leprosy often leads to social exclusion.

“It is not
easy for people affected by leprosy, or those suspected
cases, to come to health facility because they fear that
they will be shunned away. There is a lot of discrimination
that also happens,” se said.

“That is why through the
PHACE programme, we raise awareness at a community level to
normalise leprosy and just empower communities and the
leaders to come forward if they have signs of
leprosy.”

The programme has a strong gender-based
focus and seeks active engagement from community leaders and
men to challenge discriminatory practices.

Kler said
Leprosy Mission New Zealand is strongly focusing on setting
up referral pathways for survivors of gender-based violence
by working with a network of government and non-government
agencies.

“I was recently in PNG, and I met with a
wonderful volunteer who is a survivor of gender-based
violence.

“Her husband struck her with a machete, and
she moved from one community to another, and she was a woman
affected by leprosy. So the discrimination is doubled. Now
she has become a change agent, and i’s referring other women
to safe houses in
PNG.”

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