Counselling: a means to fight discrimination

In Ethiopia, people with disabilities are also affected by self-stigma and many exclude themselves from social and family relationships due to fear of discrimination which further isolates them, in turn affecting their ability to contribute to their communities and realize their potential. In response to this, Natanim Training and Consultancy Plc provides individual, group, and family counselling in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to help people with disabilities to consider themselves an integral member of the community.

Leprosy is one of the major neglected diseases in Ethiopia. Although there has been considerable effort to decrease the prevalence of the disease at a public health and community level, there has been little reduction in the number of cases over the last two decades. Since 2013 there has been an increasing number of childhood leprosy cases and for both adults and children there is suboptimal quality of leprosy services across the country.

Natanim Training and Consultancy Plc identified Leprosy patients and those suffering with Hansen’s disease as particularly vulnerable to stigma and discrimination and through a partnership with the All Africa Leprosy, Tuberculosis and Rehabilitation Centre (ALERT), Natanim provides interventions that strive to provide early and adequate psychosocial support, including counselling and awareness raising activities to reduce distress and help people cope better and integrate more within their communities.

Psychologists from Natanim are implementing activities with the slogan Sharing love; they eat, greet, socialize and touch people who have been affected by Leprosy and Hansen’s disease, with the aim to show respect and acceptance which tackles misconceptions and myths about the diseases.