Global Appeal 2023

Vatican

Distinguished guests and participants. I am delighted to be here at the Vatican to launch the 18th Global Appeal, endorsed by the individuals and organizations attending this International Symposium on Hansen’s Disease –“Leave No One Behind”.

In seeking a world without leprosy and the discrimination it causes, I have visited more than 120 countries over the past 40 years, based on my belief that problems and solutions are found in the fields. In the beginning, I put my efforts into medically curing leprosy. But I saw that people’s lives did not improve, even after they were cured. I realized we also had to cure another disease―the disease of discrimination against leprosy on the part of society.

The purpose of the Global Appeal is to expand awareness of this issue by reaching beyond the leprosy community. This is done by enlisting the support of leaders in different fields, calling for ending discrimination against persons affected by leprosy. They include: Nobel Peace Prize winners, the International Bar Association, the World Medical Association, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the International Paralympic Committee. This year, with the help of the Catholic church, which has one point three billion believers worldwide, we hope that new partnerships be formed with the leprosy community that will lead to end the discrimination towards the persons affected by the disease. 

On behalf of the four organizations hosting this conference and persons affected by leprosy from around the world, I now invite Leticia Frota, Miss World Brazil two thousand twenty two, to read the text of the appeal. Leticia, herself is Catholic. She uses her platform to tirelessly campaign for an end to leprosy. She represents young people everywhere, who lead the next generation. Leticia, please.