Sasakawa ’s Epoch-Making Quest to End Discrimination of Leprosy Affected People

WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, Yohei Sasakawa, would like to create a society where there is social inclusion. It is this philosophy that motivates his life-long campaign to end discrimination against people affected by leprosy. Credit: Sasakawa Leprosy InitiativeBy Cecilia RussellJohannesburg, Jan 30 2022 (IPS) For the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, Yohei Sasakawa, ensuring affected peoples’ human rights is fundamental to the campaign to eradicate the disease. In an exclusive interview with IPS on the eve of World Leprosy Day, he recalled his first encounter with people affected by leprosy, saying they were “without dreams or hopes and there was no light in their eyes.” Sasakawa’s father, Ryoichi, hugged the patients in the newly opened hospital in Korea. He then realized that returning hope to people affected by leprosy could be his life’s work. This work has continued for more than 40 years, but it is not over yet. “People who should be part of society remain isolated in colonies facing hardships,” Sasakawa, who is also the chairman of the Nippon Foundation, says. “Isn’t it strange that someone cured of a disease can’t take their place in society? I belatedly realized that if the human rights aspect wasn’t addressed, then elimination of leprosy in a true sense would not be possible,” explaining the rationale for approaching the United Nations in 2003. As a result, a resolution on the elimination of discrimina...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: COVID-19 Development & Aid Editors' Choice Featured Global Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies TerraViva United Nations ​ #SasakawaLeprosyInitiative Hansen's disease IPS UN Bureau WHO Source Type: news