People affected by leprosy should be fully recognized as persons with disabilities, both at the national and global levels, a UN independent human rights expert said on Friday.
Progress is being made in the fight against leprosy, but millions are still affected by the disease, and many sufferers have to contend with social exclusion. On World Leprosy Day, marked annually on 31 January, experts are calling for an end to ongoing discrimination and stigmatization.
Governments must put an end to the informal segregation and institutionalized neglect of hundreds of thousands of women and children affected by leprosy, an independent UN human rights expert said on Sunday, World Leprosy Day.
This Tuesday, we cover: the UN chief in New Zealand’s Christchurch calls for end to hate speech; how a healthy lifestyle can prevent dementia; updates on fighting in Libya and Yemen; the human rights of detainees in Lebanon and people affected by leprosy in Brazil.
The United Nations health agency today launched a new global strategy for a world free of leprosy, calling for stronger commitments and accelerated efforts to stop disease transmission and end associated discrimination and stigma.
Efforts are being stepped up by the UN to eliminate what it has called “neglected” tropical diseases in South-East Asia.
Diseases such as kala azar, leprosy, yaws, lymphatic filariasis and schistosomiasis continue to disable, disfigure and kill people in some of the poorest countries in the region.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been meeting in the Timorese city of Dili with health ministry officials from 11 countries to look at ways of eradicating the illnesses.
Eliminating leprosy and the stigma associated with the disease has been the mission of a Japanese philanthropist for many decades.
In 2001, Yôhei Sasakawa became the World Health Organization (WHO) Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.
In this capacity, he has travelled to many countries, including recent visits to India and Indonesia to raise awareness about treatment options and fight myths that persist about people who’ve contracted the disease.
