Remote disability and leprosy services via basic communications technology

Abstract

This short report describes the rationale for and process of developing and refining a manual to assist professionals, workers, families, volunteers, and people with disabilities in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), to make better use of appropriate and accessible communications technology. The manual is intended as a basic step towards enhancing disability and leprosy services where they are not accessible and/or affordable to people in remote areas of LMIC. A semi-formal process comprising several layers of feedback and review, and subsequent preliminary evaluation was encouraging. It suggests that the pilot version warrants further implementation as well as more formal research to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness and to refine the content of the manual.

The impact of COVID-19 on persons affected by leprosy and leprosy control in the North and Northeast of Brazil

“…36 The experiences gained during the Covid-19 pandemic regarding remote service delivery reinforced these possibilities. 21,37 We observed various instances of social vulnerability of the people participating in the study. The majority of participants were paid workers, but over 30% were unemployed, and more than 40% were eligible for governmental (emergency) benefits, indicating significant financial strain during the pandemic, particularly among those who were unemployed, selfemployed, or engaged in informal work.…”