TLM in action

Hospital care
treating the complications of leprosy such as serious ulcers or reactions, and providing surgery, intensive physiotherapy or artificial limbs. TLM works through its own hospitals, or undertakes to provide leprosy care in the general hospitals of governments or other Non-governmental organisations.

Prevention of disability - POD
teaching patients and their families how disability can be prevented through proper self-care. Also providing protective footwear and adapted tools etc to remove dangers from daily life.

Medicine
providing people diagnosed with leprosy with modern treatment - Multidrug therapy (MDT) - as quickly as possible in order to prevent deformity. TLM is grateful to the Novartis Foundation for agreeing to supply MDT until 2006. This means that resources raised by TLM can be spent on providing the systems needed for the distribution of MDT, and the resources needed to give people affected by leprosy a full and stigma free life.

Reconstructive surgery
restoring usefulness to affected limbs and correcting/improving facial disfigurement.

General medical services
running services which complement the leprosy work, such as skin clinics and eye camps.

Eye care
an important aspect of the work as leprosy can cause blindness if eye complications are not detected and cared for appropriately.

Research
seeking answers to today's dilemmas to provide better care tomorrow, especially in the areas of disability prevention.

Schooling
removing the barriers which prevent leprosy affected children from continuing their education, for example, illness, poverty and stigma.

Rehabilitation
helping people to lead as full a life as possible after leprosy – through self-help groups, loans to increase economic independence, dealing with ongoing physical and psychological issues.

Long-term care
for people who cannot realistically be rehabilitated in the community due to their disabilities or lack of supporting family.

Vocational Training
training people in professional skills which will enable them to have a steady job or set up their own small business.

Counselling and spiritual care
for those carrying the emotional and spiritual wounds of leprosy.

Training
training national staff to fully involve local people in caring for their own people by passing on our medical knowledge, skills and compassionate approach.

Support for government programmes
keeping leprosy on the agenda, providing technical support and training where necessary.

Advocacy
helping to break down the fear and stigma associated with leprosy by teaching the true facts of the disease - leprosy can be cured; isolation is not necessary.

Integration
integrating leprosy and general medical services thus meeting all the needs of communities and breaking down the stigma of leprosy.

As well as integrating leprosy and general medical services, where there is need, TLM hospitals and health centres continue to provide excellence in all aspects of specialized leprosy care, often being referral centres for complications of leprosy.

However, people affected by leprosy need more than medicine. TLM programmes deliver compassion and action. While we do identify and assist people to a cure and treat physical impairments through reconstructive surgery, we also invest in education, vocational training, counseling and community based socio-economic rehabilitation activities.

To find out more about TLM's work, follow these links: where we work • true stories