Why the Local Church May Be the Missing Link in the Fight Against NTDs
By Melissa Patel, Vice President of Programs, and Jim Oehrig, Global Advisor at Hope Rises International.
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like leprosy, Buruli ulcer, and lymphatic filariasis affect millions across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Beyond the physical toll, these diseases carry a severe stigma that isolates individuals from families and communities, delaying care and worsening disability. Despite significant treatment advances, reaching the most marginalized populations remains a persistent challenge.
At Hope Rises International, our experience with Christian partners in endemic countries shows that the local church is one of the most effective yet underutilized assets in NTD programming. We equip local churches and Christian health organizations to serve as agents of detection, referral, and holistic care.
NTD education and awareness session facilitated by Emmanuel Jackie, lay leader and elder, at Evangelical Christ Apostolic Church in Carpenter, Savanna Region, Ghana.
Churches as a Frontline for Case Detection
Data from one of our projects across 3 countries illustrates the potential of church-led detection. Currently, over half (57%) of all referrals originate from pastors and church volunteers, with the balance coming via health worker surveillance. By equipping faith leaders with basic diagnostic training, we have built a detection network capable of finding cases that traditional systems often miss for months or years.
Pastoral Care and Patient Well-Being
Church engagement extends beyond detection. At a hospital in Southeast Asia, leaders from seven congregations received counseling training and were paired with long-term NTD inpatients — some admitted for over six months. They visited patients multiple times per week, providing conversation, emotional support, and prayer.
The results were striking: the 4% of patients with low mental well-being at admission dropped to 0% by discharge, while those in the high range climbed from 0% to 32%. Beyond the data, patients specifically valued having a supportive presence during long hospitalizations. These findings underscore the power of structured pastoral care to drive psychosocial recovery and well-being.
Education and awareness session with Rev. Devadoss, Chaplain, Karigiri Hospital, Schiefflin Institute of Health – Research & Leprosy Centre, Tamil Nadu, India.
Healthcare Workers See the Value
Support for faith-health collaboration extends beyond religious leaders. A baseline survey for a new project in East Africa found that 100% of healthcare workers endorsed structured collaboration with religious leaders in NTD care, and 96.3% of all respondents expressed interest in faith-health integrated training. These clinicians and community members recognized that barriers to care are not only logistical or economic but also social and spiritual—requiring partners beyond the clinic walls.
Honest About the Challenges
This approach is not without complexity. Our baseline research found that 50.2% of persons affected by NTDs had experienced stigma in a religious context, and over half of pastors felt unequipped to address NTDs in their teaching. These findings underscore the need for targeted training that equips faith leaders with both confidence and content to engage constructively.
The Case for Church-Based Engagement
As a parachurch organization, Hope Rises International provides funding, technical expertise, and training so local churches and Christian health partners can serve as primary implementers of care. Our experience reinforces a central conviction: the local church is not a secondary channel for health messaging — it is often the primary trusted institution in communities most affected by NTDs. With the right training, churches become sustainable, community-rooted platforms for case detection, patient accompaniment, and long-term reintegration.
For NTDs — diseases defined by stigma, delayed diagnosis, and the need for long-term holistic care — the church offers what no clinic or program cycle alone can provide: sustained presence, relational trust, and a framework for restoring people to their communities. Church-based engagement is not an alternative to quality health programming; it is what makes health programming reach further, last longer, and heal more completely.
About Hope Rises International
Hope Rises International (formerly American Leprosy Missions) works with Christian partners to bring physical healing and enduring hope to people suffering from NTDs like leprosy. Learn more at hoperises.org.
Top Photo: Education and awareness session at Karigiri Hospital, Schiefflin Institute of Health – Research & Leprosy Centre, Tamil Nadu, India.