A Guide for Health Promotion and Empowerment of People Affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases

American Leprosy Missions has developed this teaching guide to address cross-cutting issues common to many Neglected Tropical Diseases and other health conditions. Ten Steps: A guide for health promotion and empowerment of people affected by Neglected Tropical Diseases.

As basic care at the community level is strikingly similar across diseases, the Ten Steps health guide will enable people affected, communities and health workers to identify and address common problems early, know when and where to refer, and understand how to monitor results.  It encourages ownership and a person-centered, problem-based approach to learning where the trainer/facilitator becomes a “coach.”

The guide is written primarily for caregivers – health workers, traditional healers, community volunteers and teachers – who can serve as "Health Coaches" to empower affected persons, their families and their communities. It addresses not only physical health issues faced by those with NTDs, but also the crucially important problems of impaired participation, limitations in activity and stigmatizing attitudes that create barriers for people with NTDs.

The Ten Steps package contains three sets of materials: 1) a training guide; 2) a summary card with key messages and actions; and 3) a manager’s executive summary of each step.