MESSAGE FROM THE AMBASSADOR
Initiatives in Africa and South America
Nine months have passed since the “Don’t forget leprosy” campaign was launched in August 2021 to coincide with my 20th anniversary as WHO Goodwill Ambassador. Thanks to the efforts of many people, these nine months have included production of six webinars, five videos, and requests to the governments of 55 countries for their cooperation. Read More
AMBASSADOR’S JOURNAL
Toward post-pandemic revitalization of leprosy elimination efforts
WHO Goodwill Ambassador Yohei Sasakawa attended the 75th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, where he met with health ministers from around the world and urged them to work actively to combat leprosy. Read more
INTERVIEW
UN Special Rapporteur Alice Cruz resumes country visits, starting with Angola
Alice Cruz has held the mandate for UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members since it was first established by the Human Rights Council in 2017. Her first official visit to Angola took place April 28-May 10, 2022. Read more
VIEWPOINT
Somalia is accelerating efforts to eliminate leprosy
Somalia, located in the horn of Africa and an important commercial center in antiquity, has an estimated population of 16.5 million people (2021). Agropastoralism remains the most common lifestyle, along with some nomadic livestock herding. Read more
REPORT
Building back better: Brazilian pandemic-era innovations for increasing early diagnosis and treatment
The pandemic years 2020 and 2021 brought additional challenges for Brazil’s national Hansen’s disease program. The restrictions imposed in response to COVID-19 during this period had a considerable impact on active search for cases and their family contacts by health care services. Read more
NEXT GENERATION
Morhan’s Intergenerational Department encourages youth to represent themselves
The participation of young people in society is of paramount importance. Their participation is a tool for collective and democratic transformation, and they are the ones who must represent themselves when policies are being made. Read more
WISH LIST
For each issue, the Leprosy Bulletin asks a person affected by leprosy or an individual involved in leprosy-related work for two to three things that they wish could happen.
Lucrecia Vásquez Acevedo
Legal Representative and President, Felehansen Read more
LETTER
Empowering ourselves through Felehansen
In 2014, a group of persons affected by leprosy (Hansen’s disease) in Colombia created what is now called Federación de Asociaciones de Personas Afectadas por Lepra – Hansen (Felehansen). Our group brings together hundreds of people from around the country. Read more
