| Junagarh Leprosy Eradication Project (JUNLEP) |
| |
The prevalence of leprosy in the operation area was 20/10,000 populations at the time of inception of the project which was brought down to 0.70/ 10,000 populations at the end of the September’2006. With the initiative of the central and state Govt. leprosy has been integrated into the general health care systems successfully and at present the project is addressing disability management and rehabilitation needs of the detected patients. Since 2003 JUNLEP has been intervening in tuberculosis and cure rate each year has remained above the benchmark of Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme. Blindness is emerging as a potential area of intervention and the project is trying its level best to address the need. However, leprosy continues to remain the core area of intervention. A medical complex with a 16-bed ward, physiotherapy unit, footwear unit and a laboratory was established in May 1999 to cater to the needs of patients. |
 |
|
|
| Leprosy |
Towards late 90s Kalahandi was one of the leprosy endemic districts in Orissa, the prevalence rate being at 20/10,000 population. The Multi Bacillary Case Rate and Deformity Rate were 24 and 8 respectively by the time when the project launched. MDT was the only service provided by the Govt. at that time. Many people were falling victim to the socio-economic consequences of the disease.
Intervention of the project in leprosy control has made a significant change in the situation over last 11 years. The prevalence of leprosy has come down to 1.10/10,000 population as on September 2007. Deformity & Worsening of deformity prevented 1,185 cases. 158 clients have regained their functional ability through reconstructive surgery. Specialized services like complication management, ulcer management, reconstructive surgery, physiotherapy and protective footwear are still being provided to the leprosy affected persons in the 16 bedded hospital. Most importantly, the services are not limited to the people of project’s operation area only rather they are open for the people from the other sub-division of the district as well as for the people of neighboring districts like Nuapara and Bolangir. 8,121 footwears provided the beneficiaries till Sept’07.
|
|
| |
|
Tuberculosis
|
| A Designated Microscopy Centre is functioning at project base hospital under RNTCP covering a part of Junagarh block (9 GPs) and a population of 39,000.The DMC under RNTCP has been functioning since 2002 and the performance remains consistently satisfactory meeting the norms of the national programme. Ensuring complete treatment to all the detected TB patients and minimising defaulter rate are considered important in reducing the spread of infection of the disease and halting the incidence thereby. |
| |
| Activities |
| |
1. Chest Symptomatic Examination
2. Case diagnosis & counselling
3. Implementation of DOTS
4. DOTS training programme
5. Follow up of cases
6. Awareness programme |
| |
| The first indication towards this objective is the follow up sputum examination rate which is 100% during the year 2007. The cure rate during this year so far has been 92%. There has been a reduction in the number of TB cases compared to last year. Total chest symptomatic examined is 1383. A total no. of 183 cases has been cured. |
|
|
| |
Blindness Control
|
| Having started intervention for the care of eyes of the leprosy affected persons the project has now entered into community ophthalmology. At present JUNLEP is one among the potential partners of the District Blindness Control Society (DBCS) in combating blindness in the operation area. Cataract patients are being identified from the community through outreach camps and referred to the district HQ hospital for surgery. A total of 554 cases have been operated and their vision has been restored by September 2006. Apart from intervention in cataract, the project also entered into children eye health by undertaking screening programmes for school children. The workforce of the project is equipped with skills and expertise to manage community eye care. Many of the staff are trained in different areas of eye care like programme management, community-based rehabilitation, optical dispensing, clinical supervision and ophthalmic assistance. A Low-Vision Project with an objective of reducing the burden of avoidable blindness among children was inaugurated in the second week of August 2006 and a proposal for an eye hospital with surgery facilities is under consideration of the Government. As of September 2006 the project has identified 104 children with defective vision/refractive error by screening 1123 children in 13 schools. |
| |
|
| |
|
HIV/AIDS
|
The intervention in HIV/AIDS was started in the year 2003. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) has been the major component of the intervention along with management of STI/RTI. As of December 2005 a total of 201 patients have received STI/RTI services and more than 75000 pieces of condom have been supplied free of cost to enhance safe sex practice for reduction of chance of infection of HIV. 150 outlets established in different places of project area. the project has prepared 3 no of video films to make people aware on three major project addressed diseases, leprosy, TB and HIV/AIDS. As the films are in local language and local people have played roles in them, they are expected to reach more people in a better understandable form. |
| |
Socio Economic Rehabilitation Programme |
This program was started from 1998. The most important achievement is the rehabilitation of 648 leprosy affected persons under the socio-economic rehabilitation program. 137 beneficiaries benefited by Revolving Loan and 648 beneficiary benefited from different Govt. schemes. Vocational training given to 29 beneficiaries in different trade. 7 major social problems were solved by the project staff. Beneficiaries benefited through philanthropic programs.
|
 |
|
| |
| Community Mobilization |
Community mobilization has been taken as a new instrument to ensure community ownership towards the community health problems and some strategic activities like sensitizing the community members, forming village health committees, creating community health profiles and identifying and training the community volunteers have been taken up during the year 2006. 50 community villages have been taken and identified 158 volunteers out of them trained 127. Health committees formed 46 villages out of 50 villages till sept’07.
Capacity buildings to volunteers, village sanitation, health camps, Disability Care Clinics, Eye screen camps, Plantations, Observation of the health days, IEC programmes on health were carried out by the community. The project has reviewed the community activities quarterly. |
 |
|
|
| IEC ACTIVITIES FOR 2007 |
| 39 film shows, 7 street plays & 63 group talk were conducted. Wall paintings done in 12 places on Malaria. 3300 pamphlets were distributed ( TB -3000 + Eye 300) in the project area. |
| |
| Kalahandi Utsav |
Mr. Sarat Chandra Chyau Patnaik, SP, Kalahandi is visiting the exhibition stall opened at Kalahandi Utsab-2007 at Junagarh. Kalahandi Utsav observed in 3 places Koksara, Junagarh and Dharmagarh. The examination stall visited by 13000 people. |
 |
|
| |
Anti Leprosy Week |
JUNLEP observed the Anti Leprosy Week – 2007 from 30th January to 5th February. The main aim of observing this week was to create awareness among the people on the disease and to mobilize their active participation in the leprosy control activities.
As the project has been thriving for reaching the people in the remote villages, it was decided to observe the week at different places of the project area, particularly in the villages where the community mobilization approach is being experimented in stead of making a grand program at the project headquarters. Programs were conducted at 11 different places in the project area on different days of the week. Activities like cycle rally by the students, rally by the villagers including women, debate competition among students and women, public meetings and cultural programs were organized at different places. Performance of street plays at 7 different places in one day by a cultural troop of Rajmoter village of Dharmagarh block may be considered as an innovation in entire observation. |
 |
|
| |
| World TB Day |
World TB day observed with collaboration CHC Junagarh on 24th March 2007 at Kalyan Mandap, Jungarh. A public meeting was held with 120 participants, Quize and painting competition held on that day. 11 school students were participated in both the competitions. LEPRA Society gave the prizes for painting and CHC Jungarh Gave the prize for quiz. |
 |
|
World Sight Day |
World Sight Day was observed on 11.10.2007 at Jaipatna. Tahasildar was Chief Guest of the programmed. In that programme public meeting, screening camp, spectacle distribution and training to teachers, volunteer and leaders were carried out. 16 students low vision were corrected and spectacles. In that programme where 53 teachers, 13 Leaders, 28 Volunteers developed skills of primary eye testing of the children
|
|
|
|
| SPECIAL EVENT |
The project has utilized the platform of a Farmers Meet (Krisak Sampark Mela) organized by the dist. Agriculture department. An exhibition stall was opened and nearly 1500 people had exposure to information on various diseases.
During the quarter 450 drumstick and 150 papaya plants have been distributed among the SHG members as a nutritional supplementation activity under the low vision program. The watershed mission of Koksara, Jaypatana and Junagarh blocks supported this activity by providing plants with a lower cost. |
 |
|
| VISITORS FOR 2007 |
| (MR.EDUARDO DE MIGUEL, PROJECT MANAGER, FONTILLES, SPAIN VISITED JUNLEP ON 28.03.07) |
 |
 |
(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT DR. BHARAT BHUSAN PANDA,EYE SPECIALIST, DR. SRINIVAS NAIK,CDMO, KALAHANDI VISITED JUNLEP ON 08.08.07) |
(DR. MALA SRIKANTH, CTB CONSULTANT, NEW DEHLI, CENTRAL TEAM VISIT TO JUNLEP FOR EVALUTED THE RNTCP WORK IN JUNLEP) |
 |
|
|
| |
