3. Use of Mass Media
While mass media is enlarging its scope to cover the rural and urban communities, it is struggling hard to cope with demands that are made on the limited space, either on the page or on the screen, or on the air time. Naturally leprosy will have to compete with many developmental priorities. While communicators are ready to help, efforts on the side of NGOs, governments, and WHO are also necessary. It was pointed out that a recent survey done has indicated that the international press releases are either full of statistics or are diluted statements. The government communication are highly politicized. What is needed is a copy which is scientific, true and attractive to the reader to catch his attention. For this purpose, we have to use the three steps mentioned earlier about media strategy, orientation and data banks.
4. Community Action
It was thought by the workshop that community action is primarily in the area of decision-making. These decisions pertain to the future of PAL. This may be in the field of economics, politics, or the social structures. For giving them the opportunity to make decisions, empowerment of the PAL is a prerequisite. The community participation or action is going to depend on awareness of the people. The workshop believed that awareness is not merely registering the information, but it is critical awareness leading to social action. With a change of role of community health workers, they need to be oriented in basic skills of community organisation, counseling and communications. For this, support will have to be given to develop and disseminate a simple manual along with training modules for community participation and organization. Such manuals will have to be field tested before they are used for community involvement. It was also mentioned by the workshop that community action will also mean networking, not only at the local level but also at the national level. And this networking need not be restricted only to organizations working in the field of leprosy or health, but the networking could include all developmental organizations such as the National Council of Women, Council of Child Welfare, Social Security Association, etc. Such a network would help develop interpolation of ideas and help strengthen a common front against leprosy.
Dr. S.D. Goknale
Chairperson
Dr. Judith Justice
Rap porteur
S.D. Gokhale, International Leprosy Union, Pune, INDIA
