Miss Cambodia and her runners-up paraded in the middle of the audience, before having a long exchange with the people affected by leprosy.
MISSES WITHOUT FEAR AND WITHOUT REPROACH IN THE FACE OF LEPROSY
On January 30th, on the occasion of the 66th World Leprosy Day, the CIOMAL Foundation organized an open morning in Phnom Penh.
Two hundred visitors attended the event, including university students and professors, representatives of national and international organizations, and about 100 people affected by leprosy.
At the beginning of the morning, members of the CIOMAL team and patients staged a burlesque presentation of the first message to be conveyed in the face of leprosy: the disease is curable and nothing justifies the stigmatization of those affected by it. As a demonstration, Miss Cambodia and her runners-up paraded in the middle of the audience, before having a long discussion with the people affected by leprosy.
Today, leprosy affects more than 3 million people worldwide (sick or convalescing). This neglected tropical disease is mostly found in the poorest regions.
More than 240,000 new cases are detected each year, of which 5% are children under 15
years old.
Because of the marks it leaves on the skin, leprosy also leads to social exclusion, especially in schools, workplaces and health care centers.
A key player for more than 60 years, the CIOMAL Foundation has been working in Cambodia on several fronts: prevention and awareness-raising, early detection of the disease, medical and surgical treatment, socio-economic rehabilitation, and strengthening local skills.
In 2018, the Kien Khleang center acquired a new orthopedic department. CIOMAL teams also supported the creation of the first Cambodian association of people disabled by leprosy. An instrument to make their voices heard in Cambodia and internationally.
In the same year, the Kien Khleang center received 5,611 people (including 1,373 children) for free dermatological consultation. More than 758 people with leprosy were treated, including 166 patients for surgery. Its reintegration programs have enabled 38 families to benefit from a micro-credit, 32 school children and 6 students to obtain a scholarship. In addition, awareness-raising activities have reached 56,610 women workers in 12 textile factories.
The Kien Khleang center received 5,611 people (including 1,373 children) for free dermatological consultation. More than 758 people with leprosy were treated, including 166 patients for surgery. Its reintegration programs have enabled 38 families to benefit from a micro-credit, 32 school children and 6 students to obtain a scholarship. In addition, awareness-raising activities have reached 56,610 women workers in 12 textile factories.
I CAN CHANGE A LIFE TODAY
People affected by leprosy suffer from terrible discrimination and totally unfair isolation.
Patients often do not have access to drug treatments because they are too expensive for them. Even a small donation can help provide the necessary treatment and give people affected by leprosy a new life.