Clinic Tackles Old Diseases in Bangladesh

Sweety and Alisa
by The Salvation Army in Canada
Share:

Your compassionate support can mean the difference between life and death for someone like Sweety. Sweety is a young mother in Bangladesh who lives near Dhaka, the nation’s capital. Not long ago, Sweety suffered from a bad cough and nightly fevers, and she struggled to care for her 5-year-old daughter, Alisa.

 

Staff from The Salvation Army Mirpur Clinic in Dhaka diagnosed Sweety with tuberculosis. Left untreated, the disease can permanently damage lungs and other organs, and even lead to death. Fortunately, Sweety’s illness was caught in time and after a vigorous six-month treatment at the Clinic, she was cured. “I am happy because the doctor and nurses have been very helpful,” she says.

 

Diseases like tuberculosis and leprosy are major health threats in Bangladesh. Every day, 978 more people fall ill with tuberculosis, while 4,000 people a year are diagnosed with leprosy, which can permanently damage skin, nerves, arms, legs, feet, and eyes. If the Mirpur Clinic had not been there to diagnose and treat Sweety, the consequences could have been fatal for her entire family.

 

The Mirpur Clinic has been fighting leprosy and tuberculosis in Bangladesh for almost 50 years, providing quality health care and education in both the clinic and the broader community.

 

“We are working to reduce leprosy and tuberculosis in Bangladesh. We hope that by 2050, tuberculosis will be eliminated from this country,” says Albert Sarkar, Project Manager at the clinic. Thank you to every donor who has contributed to making a real difference beyond our borders.