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COVID-19 & Leprosy Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted leprosy control and prevention, and in response, GPZL established three working groups to address the leprosy community’s key challenges during the global health crisis, and spearhead emergency response.

Advice about leprosy and COVID-19:

Advice about leprosy and COVID-19 from the WHO Global Leprosy Programme, ILEP, UN Special Rapporteur Alice Cruz, and the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy. Includes guidance on diagnosis and clinical management of leprosy patients, public health aspects of leprosy in the COVID-19 pandemic, and services for persons living with disabilities and/or psychosocial consequences of leprosy.

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Working Groups

GPZL’s three COVID-19 response working groups have:

  • Chronicled and provided support for the urgent needs of National Leprosy Programmes, particularly for access to MDT and follow-up care.
  • Advocated for access to comprehensive healthcare, social protection services, and humanitarian measures for persons affected by leprosy or Hansen’s Disease, and their families.
  • Prepared GPZL for the post-pandemic global health landscape.

Working Group 1: Leprosy Emergency Operations Committee chaired by Ms. Arielle Cavaliero (Novartis) and Dr. Benedict Quao (Leprosy Program Manager, Ghana), included WHO’s Global Leprosy Program and others working directly in the supply chain for multi-drug therapy (MDT). This group addressed issues in the supply of drugs for the treatment of leprosy and leprosy reactions, and other forms of care such as wound care, disability care, and social care, and supported the work of National Leprosy Programmes.

Working Group 2: Emergency Advocacy for Persons Affected chaired by Dr. Alice Cruz (U.N. Rapporteur for Persons Affected and their Families) and Mr. Amar Timulsina (President of IDEA Nepal) spearheaded a global advocacy campaign so that no patients are left behind. This group worked with persons affected to gather information on their needs during the pandemic and share information about government and NGO responses to those needs.

Working Group 3: Post COVID-19 chaired by Mr. Geoff Warne (ILEP CEO) and Dr. Takahiro Nanri (Executive Director, Sasakawa Health Foundation), this group thought critically about future health scenarios and developed a path forward for the leprosy community in a post-COVID world.

For more information about these working groups, or for questions about GPZL’s COVID-19 strategy, please contact us.

GPZL COVID-19 Resources

  • GPZL Working Group 1 assesses challenges and a path forward for leprosy during COVID-19

    A report from GPZL’s Leprosy Emergency Operations Committee (LEOC), published in the December 2020 issue of Leprosy Review.

    Visit link

  • Challenges and a Path Forward for Leprosy during COVID-19: Working Group 1 Report

    Working Group 1 found that COVID-19 was having a direct impact on clinics, MDT supply, patient access to care, and NGO activities.

    Download

  • The COVID-19 Crisis and Persons Affected by Leprosy Fact Sheet

    This fact sheet highlights measures taken by governments and NGOs to address the needs of the leprosy community and underscores the need for increased support.

    Download

  • The COVID-19 Crisis and Persons Affected by Leprosy: Questionnaire Results

    The following information was gathered through an online questionnaire from 100+ persons affected and partners, representing 24 countries.

    Source: Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy

  • Persons Affected by Leprosy and the COVID-19 Global Health Crisis: Working Group 2 Consultative Calls Report

    This report details concerns about access to health care, fundamental goods, government support, stable livelihoods, and COVID-19 information.

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  • Open letter from UN Special Rapporteur on COVID-19 and leprosy

    This letter details the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons affected by Hansen’s disease and their family members and provides governments with recommendations.

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COVID-19 News

Women affected by leprosy speak out about COVID-19 challenges

Women affected by leprosy share concerns of the community of persons affected during the COVID-19 pandemic in a video, recently released by GPZL. By learning from these women affected by leprosy, the NTD community can strengthen strategies to reach zero discrimination, zero stigma, and zero disability for persons affected by leprosy and other NTDs worldwide. And by looking to the experts on the ground, including those who have experienced NTDs, NGOs and governments can better fill in the gaps in COVID-19 response.

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Sasakawa Health Foundation Announces Grant Recipients: Organizations of Persons Affected by Leprosy During COVID-19

TOKYO, Oct. 29, 2020 — Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative will launch a US$340,000 grant program on November 1 to support communities of persons affected by leprosy around the world that have been hard hit by the effects of the novel coronavirus. Through the program, … Read More >

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GPZL’s COVID-19 Working Groups: August 2020 Update

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted leprosy control and prevention, and in response, GPZL has established three working groups to address the leprosy community’s key challenges during the global health crisis, and spearhead emergency response. This article is an update on their progress.

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Open letter from UN Special Rapporteur on COVID-19 and leprosy

This letter details the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons affected by Hansen’s disease and their family members and provides governments with recommendations.

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GPZL’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan for 2020

With the COVID-19 pandemic raging in some countries and just beginning to be felt in others, GPZL’s Leadership Team has identified the leprosy community’s key challenges and outlined an emergency response plan for 2020. This plan will ensure that the GPZL’s substantial expertise and network is focused on the urgent situation being faced by National Leprosy Programmes and persons affected by the disease, and their families.

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