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Who we are

Based in Curitiba (PR) and operating internationally, the Alliance Against Leprosy (AAL) Institute is a non-profit association founded in 2018, which unites science, education, and philanthropy in the fight against Hansen’s Disease. It focuses exclusively on Hansen’s Disease and its aim is to qualify health professionals so that they can diagnose and treat Hansen’s Disease in an ethical manner that is committed to the affected population; disseminate quality information about the disease to raise awareness and combat discrimination; and provide assistance to people with physical disabilities caused by Hansen’s Disease.

Our philanthropic work brings together partnerships with the public power, private initiatives, the third sector and the scientific field, supporting researchers dedicated to one of the most neglected diseases in the world. It also works to disseminate quality information, encouraging early diagnosis in order to assist the population affected by the disease.

Our organizational principles

The AAL Institute was born out of a desire to help patients by providing quality care and information, with an ethical and scientific basis. It works together with people with Hansen’s Disease, listening to their needs and preferences. It values transparency and accounts for its activities with international recognition, using an external audit carried out by MAZARS, an internationally recognized company that operates in 90 countries.

MISSION

Expand the conditions for diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by leprosy, through innovative actions, training of professionals and promotion of research, for their social inclusion.

VISION

To be an international reference in the care of people affected by leprosy and in supporting health professionals.

VALUES

  • Ethics: clarity, honesty and transparency in our relationships;
  • Innovation: our actions are pioneering in Brazil and worldwide, prioritizing the quality of life of people affected by leprosy;
  • Equity: equal treatment and similar opportunities for all;
  • Respect: for people, the environment, with the guarantee of rights and dignity;
  • Quality: processes, services and actions developed with international quality standards;
  • Transparency: social and financial results regularly presented to society in a clear and accessible manner for all.

Our lines of action

The Alliance Against Leprosy Institute unites science, education, and philanthropy in the fight against Hansen’s Disease, also known as leprosy. Our lines of action are defined as:

SCIENCE: presence at major national and international scientific events. Institutional support for scientific projects related to leprosy.

EDUCATION: provision of technical content and training of health professionals for the diagnosis and treatment of leprosy, in an ethical and committed manner. Dissemination of quality information to the population for the prevention and combat of discrimination and prejudice.

 ASSISTANCE: proactive action, using cutting-edge technologies to offer support and dignity to people with physical disabilities caused by leprosy, focusing on diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

 

 

 

 

Who is part of it

Governance

Deliberative Council

President: Bernard de Laguiche

With extensive professional experience in national and multinational companies within the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, he has served for over 13 years as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), leading various areas and financial projects focused on good governance, controlling, financial, administrative, and corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, risk management, and emerging markets. Additionally, he has held board positions for nearly a decade in multinational corporations. He holds a degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of St. Gallen and a postgraduate degree in Agribusiness (MBA) from ESALQ – Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz." He has served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Grupo Ortus S.A., member of the board of directors of Solvay, and Chairman of the Board of Peróxidos do Brasil Ltda. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Agro Mercantil Vila Rica Ltda. At the Instituto Aliança Contra Hanseníase, he holds the position of Chairman of the Deliberative Council.

Doctor from Unesp, master, doctor and post-doctorate from USP. Specialist in Dermatology (Federal Council of Medicine), Occupational Medicine and Public Health (University of São Paulo), Hansenology (Brazilian Medical Association). In addition to being a scholarship holder, in addition to several scholarships from the World Health Organization and Italian, French and American institutions, he interned for fifteen years at the CNPq (in all categories therein, Scientific Initiation, Improvement, Postgraduate, Productivity in Research and Post-Doctorate in Services at the School of Medicine of USP, UNESP and UNICAMP and at the Institute of Biosciences of USP. On the international level, among the trainings, there are those carried out at the Center for Disease Control and at the Hansen's Disease National Center, in the United States, and at the Claude Bernard Hospital, France, and at the Center for Research and Investigations for Latin America in Communicable Diseases, Venezuela. He carried out official and non-governmental missions of short duration, in several countries, notably India, the United States, France, Venezuela and Costa Rica. STC advisor of the Pan American Health Organization on several occasions, he acted as a consultant for CAPES/MEC, SEED/MEC and SDC/CNPq, as well as a specialist for the Chamber of Higher Education of the State Education Council. He was director of the National Division of Sanitary Dermatology of the Ministry of Health for several years and director of the Health area of ​​the CNPq, where he coordinated, among others, the Programs of Public Health, Endemic Diseases and Physical Education. He has held management positions in institutions of this nature, as well as in the respective scientific societies, on several occasions. A qualified Full Professor of the National School of Public Health, he has regularly taught at the School of Public Health of USP and the School of Health Sciences of UnB; he has also worked at other institutions, both at the undergraduate, specialization, master's and doctoral levels. In addition to his clinical practice, he has a well-known activity in the execution and coordination of projects, with resources from national institutions (mainly CNPq and FAPESP) and international institutions. He has interacted with collaborators in more than three hundred published scientific papers and many others presented at technical meetings. Editor of scientific journals, he has been an editorial consultant for numerous of them, as well as for funding agencies. Contributing decisively to the generation of 49 technological products, he has received various academic distinctions, including the Honorable Mention of Doctor Citizen from the São Paulo Medical Association. At Unicamp, he served as Extension Coordinator, Department Head and member of boards of directors, responsible for specialist training courses, coordination of postgraduate research lines and dozens of disciplines; twice recipient, due to his respective productivity, of the Zeferino Vaz Academic Recognition Award; Full Professor, Dean of the Unit and Group Coordinator certified by the CNPq Directory, having been a member of the Postgraduate Committee and the Central Research Committee of the University; NERD-6 of the Postgraduate course, member of two lines of research, with supervision of more than one hundred theses/dissertations/scientific initiation works/monographs for the conclusion of undergraduate and specialization courses. A full-time professor at the School of Medicine of PUC Campinas, he has simultaneously been a Research Professor, Member of the NDE of the Course, Coordinator of the Epidemiology and Health Group, Coordinator of Supervisors of the PROVAB, Vice-President of the Research Ethics Committee acting as Responsible for the Clinical Research Area, as well as Reference Tutor of the PMMB, Professor responsible for the Dermatology League, ABEM Preceptor; INEP/MEC Evaluator; “Ad hoc” Member of the National Research Ethics Commission, CNS/MS and of the REVALIDA/MEC Exam; in the professional scope, he is Supervisor of the Family and Community Medicine Residency.

Marcos da Cunha Lopes Virmond, born in Brazil in 1950, graduated in Medicine from the University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and is a full member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery and the International Society of Plastic Surgery, as well as a full member of the Brazilian Leprosy Association. He was trained in leprosy surgery (India, 1981 and Ethiopia, 1984) and in Health Program Management (Madagascar, 1993). He holds a PhD in Surgery (1999) from UNESP and in Musicology (2007) from UNICAMP. He has worked as a consultant for American Leprosy Missions, the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Pan American Health Organization - PAHO (Argentina, Mexico, Haiti, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Barbados) and the WHO - World Health Organization (HQ-Geneva, India). He worked as a physician at the Leprosy Hospital in Porto Alegre (1976), was director of the Sanitary Dermatology Clinic of the State Health Department of Rio Grande do Sul (1986 - 1990) and General Director of the Lauro de Souza Lima Institute, a leprosy research center in Bauru, São Paulo, which is a reference center of the Brazilian Ministry of Health and a WHO collaborating center. He was president of the Brazilian Leprosy Association for two terms, as well as president of the International Leprosy Association (ILA) for two terms. Marcos Virmond currently lives in Bauru (SP) and is a professor of Medicine at USP (FOB, Bauru) and UNINOVE (Bauru, campus).

Francisca Barros da Silva, better known as Dide, was diagnosed with leprosy at the age of nine. Today, she is nationally recognized for her story marked by resilience, the fight against discrimination and the prevention of the disease. An honorary citizen of Piraquara, Paraná, she serves as a municipal health councilor and municipal councilor for people with disabilities, in addition to being the state coordinator of Morhan - the Movement for the Reintegration of People Affected by Leprosy, in Paraná. At the AAL Institute, she was an ambassador and is currently a member of the Institute's Board as an advocate for patients' interests.

Executive Board

CEO: Dr. Laila De Laguiche

Occupational therapist and Scientific Researcher VI of the State of São Paulo, she works at the Adolfo Lutz Institute in São José do Rio Preto. Master's and Doctorate in Health Sciences - Epidemiology. She completed her residency at the Lauro de Souza Lima Institute, Bauru-SP, and specializes in Basic Health Unit Management - GERUS Project (SUS). She worked for 16 years as an occupational therapist with the State Secretariat for Health at the Municipal Rehabilitation Center of São José do Rio Preto, where she set up and coordinated the Upper Limb Rehabilitation services, the Prosthetics and Orthotics Program and the Ministry of Health's Auxiliary Means of Locomotion (OPMs), as well as the Leprosy Incapacity Prevention and Rehabilitation service, including the orthopedic workshop. She acts as technical advisor for various Municipal and State Health Secretariats (SES), the Brazilian Ministry of Health and international commissions. She has trained over 8,000 professionals in courses and conferences. She reviews scientific manuscripts for national and international journals and was editor-in-chief of the journal Hansenologia Internationalis (2014-2021). She was a board member of CREFITO-3 - São Paulo (2016-2020). She is associate editor of the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. She has supervised over 30 diploma theses, 19 Latu-sensu Master's theses, as well as 12 co-supervisions of Master's theses. She has published 72 scientific articles, 6 chapters in 5 different books and collaborates with several universities and institutions in the country. Her scientific work and projects cover the following themes: epidemiology; rehabilitation; assistive technologies; Hansen's disease; peripheral neurological lesions; physical disabilities; health education; health service management. At the Alliance Against Leprosy Institute, Dra. Susilene holds the position of Technical Advisor for Projects and Technical Director of the Institute.

Dr. Mira holds a PhD in Biochemistry/Molecular Genetics from McGill University, Montreal, Canada (2004). He is currently a Full Professor in the Graduate Program in Health Sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), where he leads research projects in the field of human and microbial genetics, with an emphasis on the genetic mapping of complex diseases, particularly leprosy and vitiligo. He also serves as Deputy Coordinator for Academic Programs in Medicine I at CAPES and is a Level 2 Research Productivity Fellow with CNPq.

Occupational therapist and Scientific Researcher VI of the State of São Paulo, she works at the Adolfo Lutz Institute in São José do Rio Preto. Master's and Doctorate in Health Sciences - Epidemiology. She completed her residency at the Lauro de Souza Lima Institute, Bauru-SP, and specializes in Basic Health Unit Management - GERUS Project (SUS). She worked for 16 years as an occupational therapist with the State Secretariat for Health at the Municipal Rehabilitation Center of São José do Rio Preto, where she set up and coordinated the Upper Limb Rehabilitation services, the Prosthetics and Orthotics Program and the Ministry of Health's Auxiliary Means of Locomotion (OPMs), as well as the Leprosy Incapacity Prevention and Rehabilitation service, including the orthopedic workshop. She acts as technical advisor for various Municipal and State Health Secretariats (SES), the Brazilian Ministry of Health and international commissions. She has trained over 8,000 professionals in courses and conferences. She reviews scientific manuscripts for national and international journals and was editor-in-chief of the journal Hansenologia Internationalis (2014-2021). She was a board member of CREFITO-3 - São Paulo (2016-2020). She is associate editor of the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. She has supervised over 30 diploma theses, 19 Latu-sensu Master's theses, as well as 12 co-supervisions of Master's theses. She has published 72 scientific articles, 6 chapters in 5 different books and collaborates with several universities and institutions in the country. Her scientific work and projects cover the following themes: epidemiology; rehabilitation; assistive technologies; Hansen's disease; peripheral neurological lesions; physical disabilities; health education; health service management. At the Alliance Against Leprosy Institute, Dra. Susilene holds the position of Technical Advisor for Projects and Technical Director of the Institute.

Audit Committee

She holds a Master’s degree in Tax Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, with her degree officially recognized by the University of São Paulo (USP) as a Master’s in Economic and Financial Law.

She also holds a postgraduate degree in Corporate Tax Law and Tax Procedure from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC/PR) and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from UNICURITIBA – Centro Universitário Curitiba.

She is a member of the IDT/PR – Instituto de Direito Tributário do Paraná (Institute of Tax Law of Paraná), a member of the Tax Law Committee of the Brazilian Bar Association – Paraná Chapter (OAB/PR), and a member of the Tax Education Group of the Secretariat of Education and Sports of the State of Paraná.

She is also a licensed attorney with the Portuguese Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados Portugueses).


She holds a degree in Hospital Administration from FESP – Faculdade de Educação Superior do Paraná, and a postgraduate specialization from FAE Centro Universitário. She is the Director of Célere – Diagnostic Imaging, a partner at KL Gestão em Saúde, and a partner at KL Consultoria em Saúde e Finanças since 2010. She is a specialist in diagnostic imaging — including equipment implementation, acquisition, and financing — as well as a specialist in credit solutions for the healthcare sector. Additionally, she is a member of Oncorede/ANS.

He holds a Law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC/PR), with specialization in Tax Law, Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions. He also holds a degree in Accounting from SPEI/PR and a postgraduate degree in Tax Law from the Brazilian Institute of Tax Studies (IBET/PR).

With over fifteen years of professional experience, including more than five years in the consulting division of an international auditing firm, he has developed deep expertise in his areas of practice. He is also a professor in postgraduate programs and a frequent speaker at conferences and seminars focused on tax and corporate law.

He is a member of the Brazilian Institute of Finance Executives (IBEF) and the Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (IBGC). He is licensed with both the Brazilian Bar Association – Paraná Chapter (OAB/PR) and the Regional Accounting Council of Paraná (CRC/PR).

Our Team

 

  • Nicole Morihama – Chief Operating Officer (COO) and General Manager of Instituto AAL, Public Relations

  • Amaralina Portilho – TECHansen Program Assistant, Occupational Therapy undergraduate student

  • Lara Nascimento – Fundraising Officer, Lawyer

  • Maria de Jesus Alencar – Ambassador for the DOCHansen Initiative in Africa

  • Rodrigo Freire Maia Artacho – Communications Advisor, Advertising Specialist

International partnership

order-of-malta-logo-header

The Order of Malta's International Hansen's Disease Campaign

(CIOMAL, for its French acronym)

Created in 1958, the CIOMAL Foundation (International Campaign of the Order of Malta Against Leprosy) is active in the fight against Hansen’s Disease and all the exclusions related to this disease, and is part of the Swiss Order of Malta, headquartered in Geneva. It is made up of a volunteer membership that meets to define and follow up on projects that enable great social impact around the world. In Brazil, the AAL Institute is an exclusive partner of CIOMAL, since 2021, receiving institutional support and funding for actions against Hansen’s Disease.

Find out more at: https://ciomal.org/campagne-de-recherche-de-fonds-en-faveur-des-personnes-atteintes-de-la-lepre-au-bresil/

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Cep 81200-452 | Curitiba - Paraná | Brasil

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