Reducing Leprosy Stigma among Healthcare Workers (Niger)

Reducing Leprosy Stigma among Healthcare Workers (Niger)
This 42-month study in Niger developed and tested a locally grounded stigma-reduction intervention for healthcare workers. By working collaboratively with people affected by leprosy, the project helped promote more respectful, informed and person-centred care in health services.

The “Reducing Leprosy Stigma among Healthcare Workers in Niger” study was a 42-month mixed-methods research project (January 2022–mid-2025) implemented in Niger, led by The Leprosy Mission Niger, in collaboration with Université Abdou Moumouni (Niamey), the National Leprosy Programme (Ministry of Health, Niger), the University of Rochester (USA), IDEA, and The Leprosy Mission England & Wales .

The project addressed the critical but under-researched issue of stigma directed at people affected by leprosy by healthcare workers in endemic communities. Using a community-based participatory research approach, the study first identified the drivers, facilitators and manifestations of stigma in healthcare settings, and then collaboratively developed and tested a replicable stigma-reduction intervention for healthcare workers . People affected by leprosy were actively involved throughout the process — contributing to the identification of stigma experiences and to the design and delivery of the intervention itself. The project produced a locally contextualised, yet scalable training model aimed at improving healthcare workers’ knowledge, reducing negative attitudes and behaviours, and strengthening more respectful, person-centred care in Niger’s health services.

Publications

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12527163/

https://leprosyreview.org/article/95/4/20-24055