HSH702 Policy For Advocacy - Assignment Solution

Advocacy Policy in the Leprosy Mission

Background

‘The Leprosy Mission Australia’ is an Australian Christian charity nongovernmental organization that is working on Leprosy. It is operating in more than 50 countries in the world. The organization was founded in 1874 by a young Irish man Wellesley Bailey when he visited India and witnessed poor people suffering from physical deformities and serious disabilities due to Leprosy (BRAKEL, 2000).  The first home was opened to treat leprosy-affected people, and this mission was extended to the Far East, India and 12 more countries with 87 programs under eight countries support offices (Mission, 2019). In south India, Reconstructive Surgery and medical research was started on deformities in limbs of human beings. Dapsone, as the first cure of this disease, was introduced in 1940-50s that caused millions of people to get healthy. This caused the spread of treatment to Africa and mission work established ‘World Leprosy Day’ to inform people about the disease and its cure (DAVEY, 2000).     

The leprologists had worked to provide new drugs and cure against disease, and the mission changed its name to Leprosy Mission. In 1980, Vincent Barry and its team discovered a drug Clofazimine, for the treatment of disease and won UNESCO science prize. Multidrug therapy is now used for the cure of disease in a period of six months (One, 2019). ‘The Leprosy Mission’ is working globally with local churches, communities, health organizations and government institutes. Its projects vary in Africa, East Asia and South Asia (GUPTE, 2000).        

The organization is committed to its central work, based on its mission and values. The mission of the organization is “transform lives and Leprosy defeated place”. The mission of the organization is inspired by Christ, and it strives to break the Leprosy chains and to empower people with dignity, healing and quality of life. The values of the organization are based on Christ teachings and focus on justice, compassion, inclusion integrity and humility. 

The main endeavors of the organization are the hospitals, healthcare, and training, and education, prevention of disability, community development, advocacy and income generation. The organization works for a marginalized community suffering from disease and currently running 14 hospitals in India while these settings are established to care people exclusive for Leprosy. Its community hospitals are providing healthcare services and commonly treating people with general health conditions (One, 2019).     

The aim of hospital and healthcare settings under the organization is to break the stigma of Leprosy in the community (DAVEY, 2000). The reconstructive surgery is carried out in hospital settings in which restorative movements are provided to hands and feet. If not treated quickly, the disease attacks nerves and leads to injury or disability (Mission, 2019). The poor countries and communities are the primary victims of this disease, and since the virus can cause disability, so the stigma is related to it. To that extent, ‘The Leprosy Mission’ provides practical healthcare training and education. Children who suffer from Leprosy or families, where parents have a disability, are offered scholarship programs for the next generation (BRAKEL, 2000). People are provided with education and awareness about the disease.   

The ideology of ‘The Leprosy Mission’ is to provide equitable healthcare support to all low-income families. Its ideology is based on further policies such as child and vulnerable adults’ protection policy, human rights policy, disability policy, public engagement policy, sustainability and environment protection, welfare development and safeguarding policy. The ideology focuses on the zero transmission of Leprosy by 2035 because millions of people are diagnosed with this disease annually. It is not simply an affliction of older times, but in the 21st century, it is devastating people’ lives (Sarmiento Mellinger, 2017). This aspect of injustice is fundamentally addressed by the organization.