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India
TLM’s work started in India in 1874 and it remains a key area for the Mission with over 50% of resources being channelled there. Around 70% of all leprosy patients worldwide are in India. TLM also fulfills the role of ILEP (International Leprosy Federation) coordinator in India.
In the recent past, TLM's work has moved away from providing purely medical based care for people affected by leprosy to a more holistic, integrated approach that encompasses healthcare, education, rehabilitation and training.
TLM runs 18 hospitals in India which provide general medical services as well as specialist leprosy care and referral services. Our hospitals are located all around India at; Barabanki, Belgaum, Champa, Chandkhuri, Dayapuram, Faizabad, Kolkata, Kothara, Miraj, Muzaffarpur, Naini, Poladpur, Purulia, Ramachandrapuram, Saldoha, Salur, Shahadra and Vadathorasalur.
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Activity Type
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Hospital |
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Leprosy Control |
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Prevention of Disabilities |
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Training |
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Health Education |
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Eye Care |
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Research |
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Reconstructive Surgery |
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Vocational Training |
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Community Based Rehab |
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TLM Hospitals provide a wide range of services from specialist leprosy treatment and care to reconstructive surgery for hands, feet and eyes. Through provision of medical and surgical care for non-leprosy patients, the hospitals help break down the stigma between leprosy and general patients. Based in areas of great poverty and rural deprivation, TLM hospitals are often the only health care providers in the accessible area.
Prevention of Impairment and Disability
Working alongside the government at Primary Health Care (PHC) level, TLM teams provide training in Prevention of Impairment and Disability (POID) to PHC staff. This enables early detection and treatment of patients diagnosed with leprosy. Those who need specialist surgery to prevent future impairments are also identified. Through Prevention of Disability and self-care training, patients are equipped to manage the physical effects of leprosy once they are back in their communities. Rubber soled footwear is given to patients with anaesthetic feet – last year 10,711 pairs of shoes were distributed.
Advocacy and Awareness
Leprosy is curable. Despite this, people with the visible physical, social and economic effects of leprosy are often rejected by their families and communities. The Diana Princes of Wales Health Education Media Centre at Noida holds national leprosy awareness rallies to promote positive messages about leprosy treatment among the general public, amongst other initiatives. Health education in schools, exhibitions, posters and pamphlets about leprosy also help to educate the general public.
Ex-leprosy patient and community-based groups mobilize villagers and community leaders to take responsibility and initiative. One such group is the Wellesley Bailey Society (WBS) – formed of some 60 ex-leprosy patients from Vadathorasalur hospital in Tamil Nadu. Each self-help group of 20 former patients has a different focus, relevant to the skills of the members. Skills include breeding chickens for sale, making specialist sandals and running the local village phone booth. The WBS also has a micro-credit system, making loans to other patients and non-members. Representatives from the group meet the local District Administrator to negotiate benefits for Society members. They now have a voice and respect in their community.
Increased awareness about leprosy, coupled with socio-economic rehabilitation initiatives go hand-in-hand with advocacy work in India. Economic independence, reduces stigma.
Community Based Rehabilitation
Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) projects enable rehabilitation, equal opportunities and social integration for people with disabilities. CBR work is integral to many TLM India projects and involves the combined efforts of disabled people alongside their families, communities and appropriate government services.
Loans are offered to former patients to support their livelihood activities or start up new businesses. Each year, over 450 new patients and their families are rehabilitated through hospitals and Vocational Training Centres.
Through the Catch Them Young programme, children of leprosy affected families are encouraged to carry on their formal education with scholarships and educational materials. In 2004, more than 750 new students were helped under the CTY scheme.
Through Low Cost Housing schemes, loans are offered to former patients. Each year over 150 houses are built through this programme.
Vocational Training Centres
TLM India has 6 Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) at Bankura, Champa, Faizabad, Nashik, Vizianagaram and Vadathorasalur.
The VTCs provide a wide range of courses. Some of these include mechanics, electronics, sewing, knitting and tailoring, carpentry, printing, computer application, and mushroom cultivation. Some graduates are placed as apprentices in local and national businesses or offered loans to start their own businesses.
District Technical Support Teams
District Technical Support Teams (DTSTs) provide training for Primary Health Care (PHC) staff equipping them to manage and treat leprosy independently. The teams work in partnership with the Indian Government to ensure that a local, sustainable and accessible support structure is in place within each community
CADIPs
Community Awareness and Disability Prevention teams (CADIPs) work across India supporting the development of self-care and self-help groups and supporting socio-economic rehabilitation among members.
Street drama, posters, leaflets and radio broadcasts are used to target communities to encourage changed mindsets about health related issues in communities and to develop people’s understanding about leprosy and physical disabilities.
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