WHO GOODWILL AMBASSADOR’S NEWSLETTER June 2014 • Number 68 FOR THE • Leprosy is curable EliminationOF • Free treatment is available Leprosy • Social discrimination has no place The cemetery at Tichilesti, a leprosy hospital in southeast Romania dating from 1928, where more than 100 people are buried. MESSAGE CONTENTS Thoughts from a Cemetery Recently, I stood under a hot sun in the cemetery Malaysia, Ukraine, Colombia and elsewhere. And of Romania’s only leprosarium, Tichilesti. The while science may have progressed, mistaken leprosarium sits in a valley, surrounded by a forest beliefs remain in people’s hearts. of acacia and lilac. Birdsong filled the air. I have written about this before, but I regard More than 100 people are buried in the cemetery the stigmatization of people affected by leprosy — a hundred different stories interred in the earth. — of which state-sanctioned institutionalization Like many leprosariums I have visited over the was but one aspect — as a negative legacy of years, Tichilesti is a world apart. It is set back from humanity. The suffering they endured must never Message 1 the main road, out of sight and out of mind. be forgotten. At the same time, however, this During the country’s Communist era, the negative legacy also has a positive side: people’s Meetings with Ministers hospital was not marked on any map. The powerful will to live in the face of adversity and Conversations on authorities did not want to acknowledge the despair, as well as the humanitarianism of doctors sidelines of World Health existence of leprosy, or those with the disease. and nurses. Assembly 2 Before the development of a cure, the solution Representative of the latter is Dr. Rasvan Human Story to the “problem” of leprosy was to round people Vasiliu, the medical director of Tichilesti. In the Praise the Lord 4 up and isolate them in places such as Tichilesti. future, he would like to see some buildings there Guilty of no crime, they ended up spending preserved as a museum and memorial. Places such Ambassador’s Journal decades of their lives segregated from the rest of as Tichilesti are part of our human heritage. We Switzerland, Romania 5 the population. must ensure that the memories they contain — News Today, we have multidrug therapy. Gone are the and the stories of the people already laid to rest — Interrupting leprosy days when people diagnosed with the disease were are not lost. transmission; leprosy removed from society. But elderly survivors of those vaccine 8 times live on in sanatoriums in Japan, Taiwan, — Yohei Sasakawa, WHO Goodwill Ambassador From the Editors 8 1 MEETINGS WITH MINISTERS FTEL Jun 14 • No. 68 FTEL Jun 14 • No. 68 ‘Leprosy Remains a Preoccupation’ Health ministers outline the various challenges leprosy still poses. The Goodwill Ambassador met with a number of health being diagnosed right away by general practitioners for the incidence of leprosy in children under Dr. Félix ministers or their representatives on the sidelines of the because they don't recognize the symptoms, so 15. The reason for this is the campaign to de- Kabange Numbi, 67th World Health Assembly for an update on leprosy this is something we need to look at. worm schoolchildren and exam them for leprosy. Minister of Health, DR control activities in their countries. Their comments are The campaign, which is about to begin again, Congo summarized below. Professor Dr. Pe Thet involves not only the ministry of health but the Leprosy is a very big Khin, Minister of ministry of education, churches, NGOs and other challenge, but your Dr. Jose Van-Dunem, Health, Myanmar stakeholders. support has made a Minister of Health, Over the past four to Out of several million schoolchildren difference to our efforts. Angola five years, case numbers who examined themselves, 250,000 reported The problem is now You have a special have remained the something. Of these, 3,000 were sent to see significantly reduced. place in our hearts for same. I have informed a doctor for further examination. Out of this If we can mobilize the visiting our country at President Thein Sein number, 300 were newly diagnosed with leprosy. resources, it will be possible to make even further a very difficult time [in that although we have What is good about the campaign is that children progress. We know the areas where leprosy 2003] and going to the eliminated leprosy as a talk about leprosy with their families. It’s remains; we just need the resources to mount a countryside to see the public health problem, we are still finding some important to take a family approach. campaign. challenges we faced in 3,000 new cases annually. The president knows implementing the program. We will never forget. about the situation and says he will support us in Dr. Alexandre Leprosy remains a preoccupation. The situation bringing down that number. “What is good is that Manguele, Minister of is under control at the provincial level, but in During 2013, I enjoyed productive discussions Health, Mozambique some municipalities is not where we would like it with senior figures working in leprosy for children talk about Mozambique has made to be. Now we have a clearer picture because we many years and received invaluable suggestions leprosy with their families.” great progress in recent are setting up a program to municipalize public and recommendations. One issue is the future years. The economy is health. This will allow us to put more human direction of the Yenanthar Leprosy Hospital in growing; the quality of resources into the field and give us greater control Mandalay. Is it to be a treatment center, a training We are moving forward. In Brazil, leprosy life is improving; the and supervision. We also have a team of Cuban center, a rehabilitation center or a combination of is again on the table. It is a priority. Our new fight against poverty doctors, nurses and epidemiologists helping us in all three? And should it be a leprosy hospital or minister of health, Dr. Arthur Chioro, has the is gathering pace. We 70 municipalities. a general hospital that also takes care of patients same commitment to leprosy as his predecessor. want to use the country’s The drugs for treating leprosy are available with leprosy? I will take the experts’ advice. In July, Brazil is hosting this year’s meeting of natural resources to improve the quality of life. I free of charge, so we have a responsibility to do Another challenge is the social rehabilitation heads of state of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, spent some time in Japan in the 1980s; I learned our best to fight the disease. We are working with of people cured of leprosy, as they are not India, China and South Africa). Following that a lot and improved my technical capacity as a the minister of social welfare and rehabilitation always accepted by society or even by their meeting, there will be a meeting of BRICS health doctor. I will do my best to see that young health to tackle discrimination. But our main focus is the own families. There are 1,000 acres of land in ministers. The focus will be on neglected tropical professionals go to Japan to be exposed to a national program of dermatology and the training Mandalay that were given to people affected diseases — with an emphasis on leprosy. professional environment, so as to improve services of young doctors and nurses to recognize the main by leprosy some 20 to 30 years ago; they can in Mozambique. I am working with colleagues to dermatological diseases. If they have queries, work the land themselves or rent it out to other Dr. Seif Seleman revamp the country’s leprosy program and create a they can send pictures via smart phone or iPad to farmers. Currently, the government is in dispute Rashidi, Minister of new roadmap. We still need your support; together, professors and this is increasing the opportunities with the farmers the land was originally taken Health, Tanzania we can beat leprosy. for early case-finding and for improving the from and we are looking to find a solution. The The low prevalence rate prognosis for patients. future direction of the hospital depends on how makes case detection Mr. Zhang Yong we resolve the issue. a challenge. Because Deputy Director- Dr. Enrique T. Ona, health workers don’t General, Bureau of Secretary of Health, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, see many patients Disease Prevention Philippines Vice Minister of Health, with leprosy, they and Control, National I have recently been to Brazil are losing experience Health and Family the island of Culion to We believe the Bangkok of diagnosing cases. There is a need for more Planning Commission, inspect the recovery Declaration [signed education to improve case detection. At the same China efforts from Typhoon following last year’s time, there is also a need to build up the capacity China has made strides in Yolanda six months International Leprosy of communities so that they recognize the prevention and control. ago. I also visited the Summit in July], is symptoms and visit clinics. This dual approach is The rate of infection is leprosy museum and an important tool for how we will achieve control of leprosy: through now low, but we still see new cases — around 900 archives supported by Sasakawa Memorial Health countries not to forget intervention on the part of health services in 2013. The government attaches great importance Foundation. In the Philippines, leprosy is not a leprosy. It is totally unacceptable that in 2014 a and through intervention on the part of the to raising awareness of leprosy, promoting serious problem, but it is still a problem.