On Jan. 29, 2025, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination Yohei Sasakawa left Japan for an 11-day visit to India and Sri Lanka.
India
The Goodwill Ambassador first stopped in Delhi at the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India (JCCII) to ask for the organization’s support in fighting leprosy-related stigma and discrimination.
Next, he traveled southeast toward the coast to participate in hosting the Global Appeal to End Stigma and Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha. In addition to speaking at the event, he listened to leaders of the Association of People Affected by Leprosy (APAL) who had come from all over the country to represent their various states. He also met with Odisha’s governor, Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, and visited four nearby colonies and a hospital.
Sri Lanka
From Odisha, the Goodwill Ambassador flew south via Chennai to Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka. When he last visited the country in 2010, the scars from the civil war that ended in 2009 were still fresh, and there were 80,000 people living in refugee camps. This time, 15 years later, he was welcomed with traditional dance and music at the Jaffna Thiruballuvar Cultural Centre, where Kaveri Kala Manram (KKM) and the Leprosy People Association (LPA) were hosting their co-organized event, World Leprosy Day Remembrance & Leprosy Association National Convention 2025.
KKM, a cultural and humanitarian organization, has been involved in raising awareness of leprosy since the organization was founded by youth from villages toward the northern tip of the Jaffna Peninsula in 1998. In recent years, it has been working energetically to find new cases and eliminate discrimination in collaboration with LPA, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health and other government agencies, politicians, religious figures, educators, the media, and various local community-based organizations (CBOs).
LPA was established in 2016, and it currently has 578 members in six branches. The association supports persons affected by leprosy to speak up for themselves and participate actively in society.
After Jaffna, the Goodwill Ambassador traveled toward Colombo, the country’s capital. On the coastal outskirts of the city near the Ratmalana Railway Station, he visited a community of around 2,500 households that is home to many persons affected by leprosy. The community receives support from the Alliance Development Trust (ADT), which is active mainly in central and southern Sri Lanka. Most people in the community make a living from fishing, and the Goodwill Ambassador was introduced to a man who formerly had difficulties securing employment because of leprosy-related disabilities. He overcame these difficulties with the help of a donated boat. His wife also contributes to the independence of persons affected by leprosy in the area by leading a self-help group of around 30 people.
ADT is a nonprofit organization established in 2000 for the purpose of supporting vulnerable communities. In the health sector, the organization is focusing on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, including leprosy, and is supporting the socio-economic rehabilitation of affected persons. During this visit, the Goodwill Ambassador joined a meeting of a self-help group formed and maintained with the support of ADT. The group gathers regularly to exchange information and assist one another in seeking solutions to medical and social issues that they face in daily life.
The Goodwill Ambassador concluded his visit to Sri Lanka with meetings with the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Health, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Women and Child Affairs. At these meetings, the Goodwill Ambassador proposed holding a national conference to accelerate the progress toward zero leprosy and asked for the government’s cooperation. The positive responses that he received gave him hope for future collaboration.
