The
Signature Ceremony on China-NLR Project (2009-2012) took
place in Shanghai on May 31st, 2009
Invited
by Professor Zhang Guocheng, Deputy Director General of
National Center for Leprosy Control, China CDC (NCLC),
the Project Document of the Cooperation on Leprosy Control
between the Bureau of Disease Control, Ministry of Health
(MOH), China and Netherlands Leprosy Relief (NLR) through
Support to the NCLC for the Period 2009 – 2012 was signed
in Ramada Shanghai Zhabei Hotel on May 31st, 2009. Dr.
Xiao Donglou, Vice Head of Bureau of Disease Control,
MOH represented MOH China and, authorized by Mr. Jan van
Berkel, Director of NLR, Mr. Rens Verstappen, Head of
the NLR Projects Department represented NLR the Netherlands.
Dr. Wang Wenjie, Head of Division of TB Control, Bureau
of disease Control, MOH, Prof. Zhang Guocheng, Deputy
Director General of NCLC, Dr. Yu Meiwen, Deputy Director
of Department of Leprosy Control, NCLC participated the
signature ceremony.
Based
on the signed Project Document (PD), NCLC is the responsible
implementation agency, Prof. Zhang Guocheng is the project
leader and Dr. Yu Meiwen is the Chief of China-NLR Project
office in NCLC.
As
one of the most important NGOs supporting leprosy in China,
NLR supports leprosy control since June 12, 1986. On that
date an agreement between the China Leprosy Association
(CLA) and NLR became effective on leprosy control in Northwest
and Northeast China. For several years NLR supported leprosy
control in the Provinces of Sichuan and Fujian and until
mid 2003. NLR also supported care and rehabilitation projects
in a limited number of counties in three other provinces
(Shanghai, Hunan and Shaanxi).
During
the 15th International Leprosy Congress in Beijing, Prof.
Zhang, actively contacted with NLR and discussed leprosy
control in China. Noticing the position and responsibilities
of NCLC, NLR showed their interesting in supporting leprosy
control in China through NCLC. In 2000, Prof. Zhang discussed
the details on cooperation between NCLC and NLR on leprosy
control with NLR. In 2001, the support shifted from Chinese
Leprosy Association (CLA) to NCLC, which implements the
leprosy control programme nationwide. The pre cooperation
stated in at the beginning of 2001 and concluded by the
end of 2002. During the period, the PD of China-NLR Project
(2003-2007) was drafted supported by NLR.
In
October, 2003, Invited by Prof. Zhang, Dr. Chen Xianyi,
Director of Bureau of Disease Control, signed the first
PD (2003-2007) with Mr. Jan van Berkel, Director of NLR.
During the five years agreement, the advocacy, training
in leprosy, and technical support were played an important
role in demonstration areas in integration of leprosy
services into general health services (Jiangsu, Fujian,
Hunan, Sichuan, and Shaanxi), which demonstrated successful
experience in sustainability of leprosy control in China.
Since
2005, NLR replaced Damien Foundation Belgium (DFB) supporting
leprosy control programme in Tibet which guaranteed the
sustainability of leprosy control in Tibet.
The
China-NLR Project (2009-2012) is to further improve and
maintain leprosy control in China, to enhance the function
of NCLC and to sustain the role of the NCLC. This is done
through the support for activities such as advocacy, management
improvements, training, health education, setting up and
sustaining a new Leprosy Management Information System
(LMIS), etc. There will be an emphasis on pocket areas
of leprosy. The PD (2009-2012) also include a specific
support of 1 million RMB to Tibet
