Representatives of people affected by leprosy today issued Global
Appeal 2007, in which they call for an end to the stigma and
discrimination they and their families continue to face. This is a
historic occasion for people affected by the disease to issue a direct
appeal to the world. It follows a first Global Appeal issued on their
behalf by world leaders in New Delhi, India, in January 2006.
The 16 leprosy affected persons who signed Global Appeal 2007
include representatives from Angola, Brazil, Cambodia, China,
Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Nigeria, the
Philippines and the United States.
The document also carries the signature of Yohei Sasakawa,
chairman of The Nippon Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for the
Elimination of Leprosy, who took the initiative for issuing both
Global Appeal 2006 and Global Appeal 2007.
Global Appeal 2007 states: "Denying the inherent human rights of
anyone on the basis of disease is indefensible. Discrimination can
never be justified. Silence on this issue is not acceptable. We urge
you to join us in the fight to end this social injustice."
Organizers include: Ateneo de Manila University; Department of
Health, the Government of the Philippines; the World Health
Organization; the Philippine Leprosy Mission; The Nippon Foundation
and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation.
Leprosy and The Nippon Foundation
Leprosy is a mildly infectious disease that mainly affects the
skin and the nerves. It is completely curable with multidrug therapy
(MDT). Since MDT became widely available in the 1980s, over 15 million
people have been treated and cured. However, the stigma attached to
leprosy means that people affected by the disease and even their
families continue to face obstacles to education, employment and
marriage.
Since the 1960s, The Nippon Foundation has supported leprosy
control efforts in many countries. Since 1975, as a key partner of the
WHO, it has taken an active effort to eliminate leprosy as public
health problem, including a five-year program to provide free MDT in
every country of the world. Since 2003, when Yohei Sasakawa first
approached the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of
Human Rights on behalf of people affected by leprosy, The Nippon
Foundation has actively focused on the social aspects of the disease.
