Socio-Economic Life of People Associated with Leprosy: (The Case of Gelemso Town, Western Hararghe)
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Date
2004-12
Authors
Dagne, Demerew
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The socio-economic life of the people associated with leprosy is one of the least explored
subjects in Ethiopia. Thus, this thesis is an attempt to describe the socio-economic life of people
associated with leprosy, which include leprosy sufferers as well as non-leprosy affected
descendants. The general objective of the study is to describe survival strategies, social settings,
and inter and intra community interactions. It examines the historical background of leprosy
patients. It also explores and describes types of social change that occurred within and outside the
community.
The study population has been living in the study site for more than three decades. The earlier
settlers were exclusively leprosy sufferers and few in number. Then their numbers increased after
other patients who took flight to escape social evils in their birthplaces joined them. Later with
the newly born children their number increased. By now the number of leprosy patients is
decreasing with the death of the older generation and the decrease in number of newly joining
patients.
Leprosy has been surrounded by different beliefs and misconceptions and this in turn causes
multi-faceted socio-economic hardships against leprosy associated people. Such hardships in turn
were responsible to force leprosy sufferers to abandon their birthplaces, beloved families and
property. So finally they have congregated with their fellows in isolated villages .
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People associated with leprosy subsist on begging, cultivation of crops and vegetables and with
other minor sources of income. Their means of livelihood has been diversifying through time.
Besides, there have been social changes in the socio-economic life of people associated with
leprosy. The changes are attributed to local, national and international factors . The achievement
in the field of leprosy treatment is the res ult of international development in the field of medicine
and the efforts of World Health Organization to end the suffering caused by leprosy. Their access
to land for residence as well as for farmland resulted from the national land reform The changes
in the attitudes of the study population and the general public attributed to a combination of
factors, which include formal and informal education, the role of media and the like are
responsible for the change that took place among the study population and the general public.
Key wOI'ds: Gelemso, Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, People associated with leprosy, Nonaffected
people, Migration, Begging, Stigma, Leprosy treatment, Traditional, Modern,
Misconceptions.
Description
Keywords
Gelemso, Leprosy, or Hansen's disease, People associated with leprosy, Nonaffected people, Migration, Begging, Stigma, Leprosy treatment, Traditional, Modern, Misconceptions.