Service Yezu Mwiza under the support of Action Damien in Burundi implements the socio-economic reintegration activities of people affected by leprosy since 2016. Currently SYM supports a total of 16 associations, made up of 339 members in the endemic areas of leprosy in Burundi namely provinces Cibitoke Bubanza, Rumonge, Makamba and Rutana.
Leprosy is an infectious contagious disease caused by a bacterium called "bacillus mycobacterium leprae". The leprosy bacillus develops very slowly. Symptoms can take up to 20 years to appear, although the patient is still contagious if left untreated. This is a real problem because it makes it difficult to eliminate the disease.
The clinical signs of this disease at its asymptomatic stage are often unknown, and it is with this in mind that on October 30th, 2019 a training workshop was organized for SYM care providers in order to strengthen their technical capabilities in the early detection and management of leprosy before the onset of disability.
After developing the definition of leprosy, its cause and how to diagnose it, the trainer, Dr Tharcisse NSHIMIRIMANA then showed the providers the clinical signs of this disease and the places where it is more frequent.
The symptoms of the disease are skin and nerve damage that can become permanent if the patient does not receive any treatment. The lesions affect nerves, arms and legs as well as the eyes. It is transmitted by oral or nasal droplets from an untreated infected patient, or by direct contact with the patient's damaged skin. In Burundi, this disease can be found in the provinces of Cibitoke, Bubanza, Rumonge, Makamba, Rutana and part of Ruyigi.
Illustration of clinical signs of leprosy, SYM care providers in training
"This training has been beneficial for me and will be very useful in the diagnosis and management of leprosy. The achievements of this workshop will allow me to help here at Service Yezu Mwiza or in the community in general any person affected by leprosy who is unaware that he or she is a carrier of this disease because the signs are not yet too visible. It will also allow me to refer the person as soon as possible." Testified one of the care providers after the training
It should be noted that leprosy can be cured by drug therapy for 6 to 12 months and early treatment avoids the sequelae caused by this disease.
SYM: Distribution of school kits to members of associations of people affected by leprosy
SYM: Sensitization on pre and post-exposure to HIV in Kayanza and Ngozi
SYM: Managing co-morbidities among people living with HIV
SYM: Quarterly meeting of community relays
Distribution of work tools to young volunteers and to the pillars of the SRH community solutions project called
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