The Damien Foundation India Trust (DFIT) provides specialized healthcare services for leprosy and tuberculosis in India. It operates 264 staff across several projects located in 35 states and 614 districts. DFIT's objectives are to directly provide or collaborate with other organizations to deliver quality care for people affected by leprosy and TB. This includes diagnosis, treatment, management of complications, corrective surgeries, socioeconomic support, and capacity building of local healthcare workers. DFIT works closely with the Indian government and relies on funding from international donors to carry out its work addressing the ongoing burden of leprosy and TB in India.

1. Damien Foundation India Trust

2. Demographics of India
• Second most
populous country in
the world
• Population of around
1.2 billions
• 73% living in rural
villages

3. Demographics of India
• 35 States, 614 Districts, 18 languages,
• 74% literacy rate (Male: 82% female:
64%)
• Reasonably good public health
infrastructure
• India reports around 125000 new leprosy
cases and around 1.4 million TB cases
every year

4. Dr. Hemerijckx Dr. Claire Vellut
F
O
U
N
D
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R
S

5. Damien Foundation…..
• It is a Trust
• Dr. Claire was founder of
the trust
• Secretary of the trust is
the executor

6. Our Vision…………
Deliver quality leprosy and
TB care services to people in
need.

7. DFIT Objective…..
To provide specialized health
care services and appropriate
socio economic support to the
needs of persons affected by
leprosy or tuberculosis, either
directly or in collaboration with
major stakeholders.

8. Global burden leprosy – 2012

10. Global TB burden - 2012

11. Self governed projectsDFIT Projects in India

12. Personnel…..
Dr. Shiva Kumar
DFIT
(Secretary)
264 staff
Dr. Santhosh
Technical (S)
Dr. Ajay Pandey
Technical (N)
Mr. Prem Kumar
Finance
Mr. Rajkumar
Administration

13. Role of DFIT
• Developing strategies
• Formulating short term and long term objectives
• Technical and financial assistance to projects
• Supervision, monitoring and evaluation of projects
• Accountability to DFB

14. Strengths
•Free medicines
•Leprosy control is integrated in to general
health system
•Reasonably good health services
•Community health volunteer for every
1000 population
Weaknesses
•Declining of expertise
•Declining of NGOs and referral centers
working for leprosy
•Less priority for leprosy control
•Poor management of complications
•Less focus on socio economic
rehabilitation
•No focus on people living in leprosy
colonies
Opportunities
• Govt is proactive in public private
partnership
• Govt has launched financial schemes
to involve NGOs in specific areas
Threats
• NGOs are mainly dependent on
international funding
• Getting funds from Govt is not at all
easy
SWOT analysis – leprosy control in India

15. Strengths
•Free medicines for both TB/MDR
•TB control is one of the important priority
of Govt
•Reasonably good health services
•Community health volunteer for every
1000 population
• Good political commitment
Weaknesses
• Limited diagnostic services for MDR TB
• Poor health infrastructure in Bihar
• Migration of patients for livelihood
Opportunities
• Govt is proactive in public private
partnership in weak areas
• Govt has financial schemes to involve
NGOs in specific areas
Threats
• NGOs are mainly dependent on
international funding
• Getting funds from Govt is not at all
easy
• Too frequent change in the guidelines
SWOT analysis – Tuberculosis control in India

16. DFIT’s Major activities
Leprosy:
•Diagnosis and treatment of leprosy
and other skin diseases
•Management of complications
related to leprosy
•Deformity correction surgeries
•Ulcer care
•Socio economic rehabilitation
•Capacity building of community and
general health staff on leprosy
Tuberculosis
•Diagnosis and management of
TB/MDR and common lung diseases
•Management of complications
related to TB/MDR
•Nutritional supplement
•Capacity building of community and
general health staff on TB
•Infrastructure support and human
resource to Govt health facilities
•Construction/renovation of Govt
hospitals

21. Training to health staff

22. Self care training to persons affected by leprosy

23. Self care training to persons affected in leprosy colony

24. Final approval by DFB in November
DFIT submits plans to DFB by September
after approval from the trust
DFIT finalize plans by August
Projects submits action plans by July
Action plan meeting with projects in June
Plans and Budget (every year)

25. Financial monitoring and control mechanism
• Supervision and monitoring visit to projects by DFIT, Chennai
• Quarterly technical and financial statements received from projects
• Auditing of financial statements at project and DFIT level
• Quarterly progress reports to DFB
• Audit reports will be passed through the trust

26. Involvement of CSOs in leprosy care after cure
Better reach because of wider network
Keen in social concerns
Flexible
Empowered

27. Added value of community involvement in care after cure
• Dissemination of message
on signs of leprosy
• Referral of suspects to HFs
• Regular monitoring of self care
• Facilitate entitlements from
the Govt and monitor
• Change in the attitude of community

28. Leprosy colonies in India:
• Persons affected by leprosy were isolated from the
community in middle ages
• 100000 persons affected by leprosy living in 800 colonies in India
• DF covers around 700 persons affected living in 69 colonies
• Houses constructed by Govt were not maintained and many are in
dilapidated condition
Role of DFIT: Teaching self care, renovation of houses,
Deformity corrective surgery
Education support to children
Socio economic rehabilitation

29. Renovation of houses in leprosy colonies (with the support of Chantiers Damien)
Before
After

30. Socio economic rehabilitation of affected persons
DF initiated rehabilitation activities for PAL with disabilities
in 2007
Intention to begin….
 To improve the livelihood capacity of PAL through self employment
 To encourage PAL practicing regular self care

31. Selection criteria for beneficiaries
1. Identification beneficiaries through CSOs
2.Need assessment in prescribed format
3.Identify strengths and weaknesses of beneficiary
4.Involve local community to support and guide
5.Committee finalizes the list at project level
6.Final approval from DFIT, Chennai

32. Livelihood enhancement of persons affected

33. Livelihood enhancement of MDR TB patient

34. Livelihood enhancement of persons affected

35. Livelihood enhancement of persons affected

36. Re constructive surgery
• Identification of persons by CSOs and Health workers
• Screening of persons for surgery by Physiotechnicians
• Mobilizing patients to DFIT hospitals for surgery
• Organizing surgery camps in DFIT projects

37. Correction of lagophtholmos

38. Correction of Hand deformity

39. Correction of foot drop

42. “International Gandhi award” 2011
Dr. Claire Vellut received award from Vice president

43. “ COMMANDER OF THE LEOPOLD II”
Dr. Krishnamurthy, President DFIT received award from Govt of Belgium in 2013

44. Thank you all
WE CANNOT SPELL THE S__CCESS WITHOUT
“U”