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| Message from the Founder |
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I am delighted at the establishment of the Sasakawa
India Leprosy Foundation. At the same time, I feel a heavy weight of
responsibility when I think about what people affected by leprosy, and
Indian society in general, expect of the foundation.
I pride myself on having devoted the past 40 years of my life to the
effort to eradicate leprosy from the world. Over the past three years
alone I have visited India some 20 times, journeying to different parts
of the country, stressing the significance of leprosy elimination,
visiting sanatoria and colonies and talking with people affected by the
disease.
Thanks to the efforts of all concerned, India has
achieved the WHO’s goal of eliminating leprosy as a public health
problem, defined as a prevalence rate of less than 1 case per 10,000
population. Since the 1980s, 11 million people in India have been cured
of leprosy.
But when I see the abject situation of those affected by the disease, I
am appalled. People who should be living in happier circumstances once
they are cured do not appear to have seen an improvement in their lives.
Because of social discrimination, they are obliged to live in isolation
from society's mainstream.
This is the nature of leprosy, a disease with both medical and social
aspects. Only when people cured of leprosy can support themselves, and
are accepted by society, will they be liberated from its shadow.
On my travels, I have heard directly from people affected by leprosy of
their desire to work and their craving for social acceptance. What they
lack are opportunities.
Through the work of this newly created foundation, it is my hope that a
genuine understanding of leprosy will spread throughout society, that
people affected by the disease will secure jobs and make their way in
life by the dint of their own efforts, and that their children will
receive an education alongside other children.
I intend to devote my life to these goals until such time as people
affected by leprosy are no longer discriminated against, their human
rights are recognized, and their situation improves; and it can be said
that they are truly free of the disease.
Yohei Sasakawa
Founder, Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation
WHO Goodwill Ambassador for the Elimination of Leprosy
Chairman, The Nippon Foundation |
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