150thAnniversary of Discovery of M.leprae

Venue: Bergen

Rector Margareth Hagen, Mayor Linn Kristin Engo, Dr. Hansen’s great grandson Abbi Patrix, distinguished participants. Today, as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, I would like to pay my respect to you for holding this ceremony to mark the 150th anniversary of Dr. Hansen’s discovery of Mycobacterium Lepra, an achievement in which Bergen and Norway can take great pride. I also thank you for this opportunity to address you.

Since Old Testament times, leprosy was feared as a divine punishment or a curse. In Medieval Europe, when a person contracted leprosy, a so-called “Leper Mass” was held. They were officially declared dead and were no longer allowed to enter church.  But a historic discovery, made here 150 years ago, would discredit such superstitions. I refer, of course, to Dr. Hansen’s discovery of Mycobacterium Lepra.

Dr. Hansen’s discovery revealed that leprosy was an infectious disease caused by a pathogen. Along with this, the progress of drug development would eventually lead in the 1980s to an effective cure for leprosy in the form of multidrug therapy, or MDT.  Between 1995 and 1999, The Nippon Foundation, in cooperation with our sister organization, Sasakawa Health Foundation, distributed MDT free of charge for five years. During this period, 5 million people were treated. Since 2000, MDT has been donated by Novartis. In the four decades since the introduction of MDT, over 18 million people have been cured of leprosy, which is now considered “a disease of the past” in developed countries.

But what I want to tell you today is that leprosy is not a disease of the past: it is an ongoing disease. There were still around 200,000 new cases being reported annually worldwide. It can be cured without residual disability through early detection and treatment. However, many cases are hidden from view as people experience no pain or fever in the early stages. It is also difficult for some people to go to hospital, and over time their condition seriously worsens.  

There is another reason why leprosy is an ongoing disease: stigma and discrimination. Since ancient times, the disease has been the subject of intense prejudice and discrimination, not only against those with the disease but even their families. Believe it or not, there are still over 100 discriminatory laws across more than 20 countries. These include laws that prohibit persons with leprosy from using public facilities, or that make leprosy grounds for divorce. So my fellow participants, I believe discrimination against leprosy is a disease that afflicts society as well as a human rights issue, which is why I continue to step up my activities.

In 2003, I approached the-then UN Human Rights Commission for the first time about leprosy as a human rights issue. But none of these human rights experts knew anything about it, to the extent they may have perceived it as a disease of the past.  I continued to lobby the United Nations Human Rights Council. Eventually, these efforts led to a UN General Assembly resolution in 2010 on elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members. It was adopted by all 192 then members.

But the challenges associated with leprosy are deep-rooted. I often talk about the fight against leprosy in terms of a motorcycle: the front wheel symbolizes curing the disease; the back wheel represents eliminating stigma and discrimination. If the two wheels do not turn together, we will not make progress. In order to solve this medical and human rights issue—to achieve the Zero Leprosy goal that WHO aims for the strategy—we must continue to send the message throughout the world that leprosy must not be neglected at any time. One such initiative is the “Don’t Forget Leprosy” campaign, which I launched during the COVID pandemic. My fellow participants, in June this year, we will be holding an international symposium on leprosy. It takes place here in Bergen, where Dr. Hansen made his historic discovery that set us on the path to resolving the leprosy issue.

We have reached the last mile of the fight against leprosy. But there is a saying in Japan: the last mile of a hundred-mile journey is only halfway—and the last mile will be tougher than the previous 99. So, let us work together for a world free from leprosy. That should be the duty and responsibility of all of us toward Dr. Hansen’s discovery. Thank you very much.