CIOMAL
THE RIGHT TO BE SEEN, AND HEARD Beauty contestants at the CIOMAL (Campagne Internationale de l’Ordre de Malte contre la Lèpre) Foundation open house show no fear nor blame in the face of leprosy.
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n the last World Leprosy Day, the CIOMAL Foundation organised an open house in Phnom Penh where 200 visitors united, consisting of university students and professors, national and international organisation representatives, as well as dozens of people affected by leprosy. Opened in 2000 in the vicinity of Cambodian capital’s historic heart, the Kien Khleang Leprosy Rehabilitation Center was particularly busy that day. At the start of the morning, CIOMAL members and patients put together a light-hearted performance to convey one of the most important messages about leprosy: that the disease can be cured and nothing justifies the stigmatisation of those affected. By way of demonstration, Miss Cambodia and her runners-up paraded in the middle of the audience before having long exchanges with persons affected by leprosy. Today, leprosy affects more than three million people (sick or recovering) around the world. This neglected tropical disease mostly
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hits the poorest areas. More than 240,000 new cases are detected every year, five per cent of which are children under the age of 15. Because it leaves marks on the skin, leprosy also results in social exclusion, particularly in schools, workplaces, and health centres. A key player for more than 60 years, the CIOMAL Foundation of the Order of Malta is active in Cambodia on several fronts: prevention and awareness raising, early detection of the disease, medical and surgical treatments, socio-economic rehabilitation, local capacity building. Every year, CIOMAL provides around 6000 people (of which 1500 are children) with free dermatological consultations. In 2018, CIOMAL opened a new orthopaedic department with the aim to provide people affected by leprosy with orthopaedic shoes and sandals. This will help prevent further foot deformity, protect foot ulcers, and correct the foot that has serious deformations. This brand new workshop is equipped with stateof-the-art machines. Dr. Sophea, a former leprosy-affected person, 2018 Australian Hospitaller
