Intro

Sumba, with a population of 800,000 citizens, is plagued with a high burden of disease, including the skin. Skin diseases cause significant discomfort, disfigurement and loss in quality of life. Despite this profound impact,skin diseases receive little attention, especially in remote areas such as Sumba.

Toru - Yuliana

Toru - yuliana overlay

A woman on her bed under a mosquito net, used to prevent malaria as Sumba is a high-risk area.

A nurse employed

A nurse employed overlay

A nurse employed by Sumba Foundation is taking a picture of a girl who was diagnosed with atopic dermatitis.
The picture is taken for follow-up to monitor the progress after 3 months.

A man is showing

A man is showing overlay

A man is showing health care workers the location of his skin complaints that are located on his hands and arms.

health care workers

health care workers overlay

Health care workers from Sumba Foundation perform home visits to persons affected by skin diseases, such as leprosy. They screen all family members. The team often needs to travel long distances via motorbike to reach the villages.

the old man

the old man overlay

An old man is examined on his veranda. He lives about 8 kilometers from the nearest health clinic.
Due to road conditions and lack of resources, he is not able to travel to the clinic himself.

since 2020 text

Since 2020, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Indonesia (OUCRU ID), in collaboration with
the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) and Sumba Foundation, implemented teledermatology services
(using smartphone technology) to improve the quality and access to skin care in Sumba.
Through this project, many individuals with previously undiagnosed leprosy were identified.

a patient registered

patient registered overlay

A patient being registered at the Sumba Foundation health clinic.

doctor gladys

doctor gladys overlay

Doctor Gladys, accompanied by a nurse, examines the skin in a young boy who is suffering from a skin infection.

This man has eczema

This man has eczema overlay

This man has eczema and feels itchiness over his whole body. The itch is so intense, that it affects his sleep.

a mother holding her daughter

a mother holding her daughter overlay

A mother holding her daughter who is diagnosed with a fungal infection on the scalp.
The girl was treated successfully with antifungal tablets.

young man diagnosed

young man diagnosed overlay

A man diagnosed with a fungal skin infection, lies in the examination room as a skin sample is taken.

next story

LEPROSY, A NEGLECTED SKIN DISEASE

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