The 2nd National Leprosy Conference in Bangladesh
Honorable Prime Minister Madam Sheikh Hasina, Minister Zahid Malek, Ambassador of Japan, Kiminori Iwama, excellencies, esteemed guests, and participants. I would like to express my deepest appreciation for your dedication in organizing this second National Leprosy Conference
in Bangladesh.
“To reach zero leprosy by 2030.” This is the target that Prime Minister Hasina had declared at the first National Leprosy Conference, 4 years ago, in Bangladesh. I, myself, have traveled to more than 120 countries to urge heads of state to cooperate in leprosy elimination activities. Yet to this day, there has not been a single leader who has set such a precise goal for leprosy. This bold decision of Prime Minister Hasina has given great courage and hope to the persons affected by leprosy, the cured persons, and their family members who continue to suffer under unjust stigma and discrimination. Currently, in Bangladesh, the Ministry of Health and organizations representing persons affected by leprosy such as ALO and Bogra Federation are working towards achieving this ambitious goal. I am very happy to see the work taking place here in Bangladesh.
Initiatives “Toward Zero Leprosy” in Bangladesh under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Hasina have a significant impact on the leaders of other endemic countries.For example, Brazil a country with the second largest number of new cases and the only country still to achieve leprosy elimination as a public health problem is hosting a national conference next year, in the presence of President Lula. Likewise in Africa, one of the endemic countries, Ethiopia is planning to hold a similar conference next year as well. Dear participants, these series of developments have been influenced by your activities. I, in my capacity as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, express my respect to the work done here in Bangladesh, and I will actively share this experience with other countries.
But on the other hand, in many countries leprosy control programs have unfortunately faced new challenges and had become stagnant due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, although the number of new cases may appear to have declined on the records, but there are many patients who were unable to be diagnosed, treated, nor receive enough care for their deformities. This led to further stigmatization and discrimination of persons affected by leprosy, cured persons and their family members whose total number is said to amount to tens of millions worldwide. I will stress again, that although leprosy has become a curable disease, this social injustice remains even to this day. Of the countless number of diseases, there is no other disease than leprosy in which patients are rejected and discriminated by their own society, friends, and families. This is clearly one of the most serious human rights issues. I realized that the solution calls for a wider range of cooperation. I started by lobbying the then United Nations Human Rights Commission in early 2000s and, arrived at a unanimous approval of the resolution on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, with accompanying principles and guidelines by the then 192 member countries at the UN General Assembly in 2010. Yet, the reality is that this serious problem of discrimination is rooted so deeply and silently in society and still neither known nor understood by the people at large in the world.
In light of the current situation, it is my wish that today’s conference will be an opportunity for all concerned to reaffirm the goal of achieving zero leprosy by 2030 and to discuss concrete courses of action. I, as ambassador for leprosy elimination will spare no effort and aggressively continue my activities towards the realization of this goal. Distinguished guest and participants, world free of leprosy is not an unfinished dream. I am 85 year old young boy, let us together make the impossible possible. Thank you.
