The Great Eastern Run 2008

 

The fundraising focus from the Great Eastern Run is the Leprosy Hospital in Mawlamyine, Burma.   Mawlamyine is the key referral centre for the south of Burma and provides comprehensive services to meet the needs of people, families and communities affected by leprosy.   

 

Patients are given Multidrug therapy (MDT) and, depending on how long the leprosy has remained untreated, it can take anywhere between six months and two years to complete the course.  Reconstructive surgery is undertaken to restore usefulness to affected limbs and correct/improve facial disfigurement.  Long term care is provided for patients who cannot realistically be rehabilitated in the community due to their disabilities or lack of supporting family. 

 

As well as caring for the physical damage caused by leprosy, each patient is given help in the form of counselling and spiritual care to enable them to come to terms with their disabilities and rebuild their self-esteem.

 

After-care provision includes self-care groups to teach people to live without further injuring themselves.  Protective footwear is provided.   People are taught how to use utensils adapted from everyday implements to prevent damage occurring from household chores. 

 

Individuals and families are given financial, social and vocational assistance.      Skills training is given so they can get a steady job or set up their own small business with the assistance of micro-credits provided by The Leprosy Mission.    Our aim is to reintegrate people, who were outcasts due to stigma, back into society.   We enable them to regain their economic independence and become respected members of their community again.