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 Leprosy is fought in Alicante Province
E very year, January 29th is dedicated to raising a worldwide awareness of the Biblical disease that is conquerable but still prevalent in many countries. Fontilles is a leper sanctuary built by the Jesuits specifically for the treatment of sufferers of this horrible disease and is dedicated to the fight against leprosy. The Fontilles Association is also dedicated to fight the disease all year round. In recognition of their efforts, on the 9th of October 2007 the Vice President of Fontilles, Don Manuel Rivers representing the Association, received the 'Distinction of the Valencian Generalitat' award from the President of the Valencian Community, Francisco Camps. The San Francisco Borja Sanatorium in Fontilles was built in 1909 located in the peaceful Vall de Laguar valley 50 kilometers from the prosperous city of Benidorm. Some people in Spain still suffer from this disease, which is now much easier to treat with modern medication. The sanatorium currently has sixty residents and treats approximately 150 outpatients.
They also assist and manage several programmes in various countries. For example, in Honduras in Central America, a programme is underway for the detection of the skin blemishes that mark the beginnings of this disease and if caught in time the disease can be stopped. Spanish experts are currently giving formation to provide specialists in their own countries in Managua and with people from Honduras and Nicaragua. During November of last year, thirty eight doctors from Angola, Bolivia, Haiti, Mexico, Mozambique, Portugal and Spain met in Fontilles to discuss and share knowledge when attending to lepers. According to the World health Organisation new cases become less and less each year, from 800,000 new cases in 2001 to 300,000 new cases in 2005. Over 285,000 people have benefited directly from the projects of Fontilles in 2006 alone.
Today leprosy is generally associated with areas where hunger and poverty prevail and Fontilles has initiated action to put education and integral development projects in countries such as India, Nepal and Haiti. Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacteria and is primarily a disease of the peripheral nerves and the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions are the primary external symptom. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs, and eyes. Contrary to popular conception, leprosy does not cause body parts to simply fall off. Historically, leprosy has affected humanity since at least 300 BC, and was well recognized in the civilizations of ancient China, Egypt and India. In 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that between two and three million individuals were permanently disabled because of leprosy.
Although the forced quarantine or segregation of patients is unnecessary, a few leper colonies still remain around the world including countries such as India, and Vietnam. The age-old social stigma associated with the advanced form of leprosy lingers in many areas, and remains a major obstacle to self-reporting and early treatment. Effective treatment for leprosy appeared in the late 1940s with the introduction of 'Dapsone' and its derivatives. However, leprosy bacilli resistant to 'Dapsone' gradually evolved and became widespread, and it was not until the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) in the early 1980s that the disease could be diagnosed and treated successfully within the community.
Anyone wanting to make a donation to the work of Fontilles can do so via the website: http://www.fontilles.org/peque/index4.htm
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