Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy, which will be launched at a ceremony at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 31, 2024, will be signed by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination Yohei Sasakawa.

The event is being co-organized by the World Health Organization and Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative as part of the Initiative’s “Don’t Forget Leprosy” campaign. Since 1975, the Initiative has worked closely with the WHO toward the common goal of eliminating leprosy.

Global Appeal 2024 calls for a world where no one is left behind because of a treatable disease, aiming to break the chains of discrimination and ensure dignity for all.

Now, we are pleased to extend an invitation to distinguished individuals for this event, which will be hosted via live streaming. To register for participation, kindly click on the link below.

It will also feature a Stradivarius mini concert in cooperation with the Nippon Music Foundation. The music foundation is a sister foundation of The Nippon Foundation, whose chairman, Yohei Sasakawa, also serves as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.

Date: January 31, 2024

Time: 17:00~18:10 (Local time), 16:00~17:10 (UTC)
Place: Auditorium, WHO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland

Organizers: World Health Organization (WHO) and Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative
Language: English

Program

• 17:00 Special Concert featuring two Stradivarius violinists
  Mr Giuseppe Gibboni and Ms Rino Yoshimoto

• 17:20 Message from Dr Beatriz Miranda-Galarza, the UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members

• 17:25 Messages from persons affected by leprosy
  Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia and United Republic of Tanzania

• 17:35 Messages from WHO Representatives from leprosy-endemic countries
  Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Somalia

• 17:45 Dialogue between Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO and Mr Yohei Sasakawa, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination

• 18:05 Reading of Global Appeal statement by Miss Anushka Sarna from India and Mr Ahlula Moyo from South Africa with Dr Tedros and Mr Sasakawa