Story number 3 for 5 Apr 2002

(Ghana) — The American Leprosy Mission has focused their sights on a flesh-eating disease along the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Due to the growing number of cases, and its aggressive, destructive nature, ALM is responding to needs there. ALM’s Chris Doyle explains why. “With the number of cases of leprosy coming down, and we have an effective treatment, we do see an end in sight for leprosy. So, we’ve just sought the Lord’s guidance into going into some other diseases that not too many other organizations are paying attention to. One of them is Buruli ulcer, which is an emerging disease, primarily in West Africa.” Doyle says this offers a chance to share the hope of the Gospel. “So, these people that we’re working with are doing the hospital work, but at the same time through chaplaincy programs, and other means, giving out New Testaments and Gospel tracts, the word is getting out to these patients. Because most of these people have a long hospital stay, you get a lot more interaction with them, one on one, so there’s many more opportunities to share the Gospel.”