HANSENIASE BRASIL TEM CURA FOTOS REBOREDO MORHAN

Ubiratan Silva Da Costa. 35 years working as a functionary in excolony of Itaboraí (Rio). Thanks of it he could undergo a breast operation. Each one weighted 1,7 Kg.

1949, 26th of March, was founded the new Hospital. It was known as “the Northeast Princess”. But patients couldn’t go away, or to welcome visits just only through a bar. At the very end of the Eighties, doors of leprosaria’s were open.

Doctors cure leprosy, but sometimes they forget the social and psychological side. Patients use to be affectionate and sensitive because of the refusal that have suffered along their lives.

Prata’s Colony, Pará state. Founded by the “Capuchins” monks in 1898. In 1924 became in colony. Since then, not many things have changed.

Domingos López is one of the last 30 who are confined in the named “abrigos” of Prata’s old colony. The staff who care of them are auxiliary and there are not qualified. The town council says that it has no financial capacity to keep them.

Regina was diagnosed from leprosy in 1999. She’s a hairdresser at Niteroi (Rio) and she doesn’t stop her working activity because of her illness, but her beer, she jokes, because alcohol is not compatible with medication. Actually she’s a volunteer in MORHAN.

In Brazil exists a law that doesn’t allow the officially use of the word “leprosy”. The illness is known as “hanseniase” or disease of Hansen. They say it is a way of avoiding discrimination in people who suffer from it.

Niteroi (Rio) is one of the towns that have available the best health organizations. It is a Centre of reference. One of the diagnostic tests is bacilluscopia of the skin made it in elbows and lobules of the ears. As a pregnancy test The device with which testing is done have a similar half credit card size and containing a reagent - strip which gets the drop of blood of the patient , which detects antibodies to fight the infection.

Maria is 65 years old. Some people comes to visit her to her welcoming home in the old colony of Itaboraí (Rio), including her children and her grandchildren. It’s said that she cooks better than anyone’s else.

She was a child when she gets the disease and her parents expelled her out of home, and she had to survive from all that meant to be. People say that Maria has everything to be crying in bed, however her happiness shines far away from her home.

In 1974 she had one of her legs amputated. Three years ago the other one. She loves housework and doesn’t let others do it for her.

Medication against the leprosy is free. Novartis laboratories give it to Brazilian government. Within 15 days or a month treatment a person doesn’t transmit the illness.

Abrigos de Don Rodrigo de Menezes (Salvador de Bahia). Every patient disposes a room and looks for pastime. Cushions of colourful strips are very traditional in the country.

The asylum of the old colony of Maracanaú (Ceará). Maria Barros doesn’t know how old is she. She arrived here when she was 20 and loss the notion of the time. “The girls” share room and her handmaids decorated it.

Albertina is 85 years old. She is here sine 4 years ago. They receive visits of people of the community, some of them are volunteers that help them and come every day. Life here is different from other asylums.

Maria shares her life with her husband in the “abrigo” of Dom Rodrigo José de Menezes. Her daughters live far away and don’t come to pay a visit, although she keeps talking and talking about them.

Antonio Borges was one of the founders of Morhan. He was a patient and afterwards “Prefeito” of this leprosaria. He comes back sometimes to visit his friends.

Manuel is widower. He arrived to Marituba (Pará) in the 80’s. Married people could dispose of a own home between in the land of colonies, as his neighbours. Now houses are part of the community.

In 1981 he had his first leg amputated. Ten years later his second one. He was captain of the cleaning-streets gang for the government. Actually he receives an allowance because of it.

“Abrigos” of the old colony of Prata (Pará). Residents have bed and food. Anyone look after other activities. They live between these walls.

Her mother suffered from leprosy and she passed away. She is 27 years old and since then she reminds here because she has no family and she was born with “problems”, according to the nurses. She doesn’t communicate, but emits guttural sounds.

Morhan shared out the lands of the ex colony of Maracanaú between senior patients to let the families live together and integrate in the same community. Grandchildren without leprosy now can live beside their grandparents that did have leprosy.

Leprosy is transmitted by the respiratory tract and is spread in vulnerable areas, with problems of hygiene and overcrowding , as the Brazilian favelas and poor rural areas . Now , a program funded by the IDB , the Gates Foundation, the Sabin Institute is working with various government institutions to prevent, control and eradicate leprosy and other diseases of poverty , such as schistosomiasis , elephantiasis and intestinal parasites . " Our job is to talk with the institutions to promote joint , integrated " argues Tristão. Junio’s mother used to come secretly to see Isabel, first resident in Antonio Diogo’s colony (Ceará), because leprosy patients have forbidden be in touch with children.

Actually Junio can visit Isabel, but the Capuchin nuns that rule the old colony keep controlling the visits from outside.

Isabel is 88 years old and blind since she was 25 because of the disease. In el 71 doctors made a prognosis: she will live 6 months more. Actually she is recovering from a hernia surgery and she is looking forward to go back walking along the beach.

Community of Prata (Pará) has in the same territory the asylum, a hospital that hasn’t work anymore, an school and residences for families.

Hospital Dom Rodrigo José de Menezes. Salvador de Bahia. The Director of the Centre doesn’t know how many people are confined. Senior patients whose families don’t exist or don’t want to care about them or don’t have the necessary resources. They eat, they sleep, they are given medication.

Noelia is been recovering from the adverse reactions that leprosy has sometimes, like the inflammation of the faces’ spots. She is one of the youngest patients at the Hospital Dom Rodrigo of Salvador.

Actually, Talidomina, medicine used against leprosy, is forbidden for women in fertile age. Fabrizia, 16, is Denis’s mother and suffered from the mutilated effects of the use of talidomina by her mother.

Marituba is an example of a victory after government, NGOs and community sit down and discussed. They agreed since the architecture until the quality of the assistance staff.

ANESVAD, Spanish NGO, had one of its Projects in the country in the colony of Prata, but bureaucratic problems with the Brazilian government it couldn’t materialize. That government has stated that it will take charge of the rehabilitation of the “abrigos” of the colony.

Colony Antonio Diogo is available a hospital centre within the same residential area. Nucleus controlled by Catholic Church have more economical resources but at the same time they practise by far their control.

Children of leprosy senior patients live together in the same area. They have not growing up with the fear of the disease and will enjoy their rights more than their parents did.

Brazil is rich because of its religious cults and, generally, their believes are an strong support in their lives. Religion has a major relief in those affected by a disease like leprosy.

Residents of Dom Rodrigo receive often the evangelists’ blessing who pray for their souls, trying to cheer up them.

Leprosy dates back to the Bible, where it was lived as a God’s punishment. XXI centuries after, government will should to make effort to invest more in Prevention campaigns if they want to eradicate the illness from Brazil.

Hansen bacillus is fond of skin and nervous. It installs on them until it damage them, as it arrives to the optic nervous, it could blind a person. Leprosy continues to haunt India, social stigma remains While India celebrates its near victory over polio, another dreaded disease, leprosy, that was overpowered in 2005 continues to haunt the government. Those affected by the disease continue to face social stigma and discrimination. In addition to the 12,305 child cases detected during the past year, 16 States and Union Territories have also shown an increase in the number of cases. Though in 2005 leprosy was eliminated (having less than 1 patient per 10,000 population), now it has the world's highest burden of disease, accounting for close to 58 per cent of the cases in the world. A total of 1.27 lakh new cases were detected in 2011-12 which gives an Annual New Case Detection Rate (ANCDR) of 10.35 per 100,000 population, which is marginally less than that of 10.48 in 2010-11. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It usually affects the skin and peripheral nerves, but has a wide range of clinical manifestations. The disease is characterised by long incubation period generally 5-7 years and is classified as paucibacillary or multibacillary, depending on the bacillary load. Leprosy is a leading cause of permanent physical disability. Timely diagnosis and treatment of cases, before nerve damage occurred, is the most effective way of preventing disability due to leprosy.

Men in Brazil play domino and talk and discuss about politics, football and community problems.

As in domino playing, someone can be or not be lucky in life, but for winning the play you need skills.

Brazil is the Second country in the World in number of leprosy cases. 40.000 new cases are detected every year. It has cure and its treatment is free.