Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
Situated on a bleak plane, near Juba town, the new capital of Southern Sudan, is situated Luri Rokwe leper colony; an archaic and sad reminder of how this bleak corner of Africa has been forgotten by the world after over twenty years of civil war.
Established by the government in Khartoum in 1948 as a place to put highly infectious cases of leprosy, it stands as a remains a symbol of this stigmatised and ancient disease.
The population of the community is over 2000. Many have lost limbs, fingers and toes. Others are blind. All struggle to find enough food and water on a daily basis and the health centre has only one medical assistant - delivery of essential drugs is sporadic.
Left: The effects of a previous leprosy infection. Leprosy attacks the nervous system and stops sufferers feeling pain, so they accidentally cut or burn parts of their body without feeling anything.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
Margarita lies abandoned by her family in a filthy hut. With only a mosquito net to keep her warm, her daughter in law brings her a bowl of food once a day; but Margarita is too weak to sit up, or beat away the rats that come and eat her feet at night.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
An elderly couple, who both suffered from leprosy over 30 years ago, share what little food they have.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
An elderly couple, who both suffered from leprosy over 30 years ago, share what little food they have.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
An elderly man, blinded as a result of leprosy he contracted over forty years ago, in Luri Rokwe Leper Colony.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
An elderly woman who suffered from leprosy over 30 years ago cries as she recounts the death of one of her sons, killed in the 22-year long civil war.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
An elderly woman with what little food she has left for the month in Luri Rokwe Leper Colony. The World Food Program is meant to deliver food once a month but sometimes this ration doesn't come. What is delivered is rarely enough to go around.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
An elderly man who suffered from leprosy over ten years ago, is unable to walk or stand up any longer, and has to crawl everywhere he goes in Luri Rokwe Leper Colony.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
An elderly woman, who suffered from leprosy, used to live at Luri Rokwe leper colony, but moved to live on this step in Juba twenty years ago because she was unable to find enough food to eat. Now she begs food from passers by.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
A former leprosy sufferer, now blind, lives on the streets in Juba.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
A former leprosy sufferer, now blind lives on the street in Juba. She is too weak to stand up and begs for food from the side of the road.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
A former leprosy sufferer, shows a recent burn mark that the hospital refuse to treat. She rolled into the fire she had made to keep warm one night while sleeping. Leprosy affects the nervous system and means that injuries cannot be felt. She was unaware of the wound until it became septic.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
Two elderly women, who previously suffered from leprosy, have lived on this step in Juba for over 30 years.
They formerly lived in a Luri Rokwe leper colony but were unable to find enough food to eat.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
A man in the leprosy consultation room of Juba teaching hospital. Leprosy treatment has been available for 17 years now but sufferers must start treatment within 6 months of first contracting the disease. People who suffered from leprosy before this cure was developed still suffer from its effects. In south Sudan there has been a resurgence in cases since the CPA peace deal was signed last year as more people are now able to come forward to be tested. The long incubation period of up to 40 years means it is often impossible to establish how the disease is transmitted.
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Southern Sudan III, Leprosy and Poverty
June 2006
The waiting room of the leprosy control unit in Juba teaching hospital.
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