Zero Exclusion Evaluation – Final Report
NLR engaged Results in Health to conduct an external evaluation of NLR projects focusing on inclusion from 2020 to 2023 in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mozambique and Nepal.
The evaluation showed that NLR has been effective in strengthening groups involving persons affected by leprosy, community-based organisations and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs).
Persons affected have become local leaders and contributed to grassroots empowerment, gained better access to a variety of services; and improved their finances, working conditions and education.
The advocacy efforts in these inclusion projects have brought policy change, mainly at the local level and partially reached the national and international levels through fruitful collaboration with the disability movement and Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) movement. These projects have positively impacted the lives of persons affected leading to personal transformations stronger family ties, increased inclusion in society, economic empowerment, and in some cases political participation.
However, challenges persist, including combating the stigma around leprosy and documenting changes in this regard, strengthening linkages between the local and the national level, enhancing advocacy efforts and dealing with resource constraints that are hampering the ability to meet all needs.
NLR plans to tackle these challenges in our new strategy for 2024-2028.
*Please feel free to contact NLR to receive the full report