WHO is organizing a Global consultation with National Leprosy Programme managers, partners and affected persons on Global Leprosy Strategy 2021‒2030, this will be a virtual meeting held for 2.5 hours on four consecutive days (26-30 October). To facilitate participation from […]
Published in WER on Sept 4th, 2020. (WER 95:417-440) Commentary by the ILEP Technical Commission, September 2020 This new update presents a large amount of helpful data on the present state of leprosy around the world, generally in Tables whose […]
The UN Human Rights Council has renewed Alice Cruz’s mandate as UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, for a further three years. ILEP has been active in support, and […]
People affected by leprosy have been deeply impacted by the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A working group of the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL) entitled Emergency advocacy for persons affected by leprosy hosted regional calls with 19 […]
Organised by an informal, global network of people affected by leprosy. Dear Minister, As persons who have experienced Hansen’s disease, more commonly known as leprosy, we were disheartened to read international media reports today that quote you as calling […]
ILEP Members and supporters care about stigma and discrimination. So we are proud to announce the launch of the all-new ILEP/NNN Guides on Stigma and Mental Wellbeing. The Guides have been comprehensively rewritten to incorporate improved insights, align with current […]
The World Health Organisation has issued new Technical Guidance on management of leprosy reactions and prevention of disability. The guidance originated in an informal consultation in late 2018 where numerous ILEP technical specialists were involved. The Technical Guidance provides updated […]
People with disabilities are being left behind in the global coronavirus response. Many are elderly or have underlying medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus. But they may also be forgotten about in responses such as lock-downs, […]
People affected by leprosy are among the furthest behind and are experiencing the disproportionate impact of the crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Alice Cruz, UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their […]
WHO has expanded on the previous interim guidance for healthcare and released further advice for NTD programmes in light of COVID-19. The guidance on community-based healthcare, including outreach and campaigns in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was jointly consolidated […]
Written by the ITC in conjunction with WHO (Available as PDF in English and French) General comments ➢ The key preventive measures are handwashing with soap and water, and social distancing ➢ Follow your own government’s advice about travel, work […]
Paul Saunderson, chair of the ILEP Technical Commission, has been looking at lessons learned from the Ebola epidemic that could be applicable to leprosy endemic countries where COVID-19 is beginning to take hold. As ILEP Members respond to the threat […]
In March, the WHO Global Leprosy Programme held a 3-day informal consultation in Mexico City, entitled Defining Criteria to Declare Elimination of Leprosy. ILEP was represented by Dr Wim van Brakel and Geoff Warne. In the new global NTD Roadmap, […]
As of 1 April 2020, there are major changes in the way the ILEP Secretariat will function. Staff numbers have been reduced from three to two, working at opposite ends of the world. Significant changes in the functioning of the […]
Calling all technical experts! The Operational Excellence Working Group has opportunities for technical experts to engage in country programmes towards zero leprosy roadmaps; the GPZL technical support pool; support to the zero leprosy toolkit helpdesk; translate best practices into French […]
IDEA’s International Day of Dignity and Respect was celebrated in Nepal on 11 March. Two members of ILEP’s Advisory Panel were involved: Rachna Kumari as special guest and Amar Timalsina as lead organiser. The International Day of Dignity and Respect […]
“No country in the world is free from discrimination against women … The time to act is now”. UN experts associated with the Human Rights Council – including Alice Cruz, Special Rapporteur for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected […]
WHO announced that it plans to launch the new NTD Roadmap virtually on 17 June 2020. There may also be launches specific to regions, countries, or different audiences. We have informed Update readers about the progress of the 2021-2030 NTD Roadmap. WHO has […]
The NTD Innovation Prize encourages creativity and ingenuity in addressing NTDs. There are two prizes in 2020, worth a combined $35,000. Applications close on 30 April. The NTD Innovation Prize is designed to encourage and support creativity and ingenuity in […]
In March, Lepra will be exhibiting the New Faces of Leprosy at the Seacole Social Cafe at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The New Faces of Leprosy 2020 was shot by professional photographer Tom Bradley – who […]
The GPZL’s bid for the MacArthur Foundation’s US $100 million 100&Change prize – co-designed by a consortium of ILEP Members – has been placed in MacArthur’s top 100 proposals. Read more about their bold solution here. The Foundation will now […]
On 6 February 2020 The Leprosy Mission Trust India received the International Gandhi Award 2019. The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, the Minister of Health, Shri Harsh Vardhan, and the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Thawar […]
Message to Japan from UN Special Rapporteur on Elimination of Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy The following is a media advisory from UN Special Procedures TOKYO (19 February 2020) – “Japan has achieved remarkable progress in protecting the rights of […]
The 12th annual G-FINDER report, published by Policy Cures Research at the end of January, is an annual global review of research funding into NTDs and it contains mixed messages. Total NTD funding increased for the third year in a […]
The World Health Organization’s draft Roadmap on NTDs is now online. It sets out a comprehensive plan outlining targets for prevention, control, and elimination of infectious diseases locking a large part of the world into a circle of poverty and […]
Gender can affect who gets preventive medicines, who is diagnosed and treated, and who is exposed or vulnerable to NTDs. A new discussion paper by the UNDP-led Access and Delivery Partnership highlights gender inequities in NTDs and what can be done […]
The first World NTD Day took place on 30 January 2020. This date was the beginning of a year long push to get attention on NTDs. In May, at the World Health Assembly, the NTD Roadmap will be launched. In June, the Kigali […]
Amar was diagnosed with leprosy during the early years of his life and was rejected by his community as a result. From 1989 to 1995 Amar was successfully treated and his experience inspired a fierce desire to advocate for the safe rehabilitation of people affected by leprosy in their families and communities.
Rachna Kumari works full time at the Lepra Society’s Munger Referral Centre in Bihar, India. She has an advanced diploma in health assistance and nursing and is studying for a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Nurse and teacher Paula Soares Brandão discovered she had Hansen’s disease during her last term in nursing at the University in Rio de Janeiro in 2002. At first she felt some numbness on her upper thigh. After several months of inconclusive tests, Paula was diagnosed with indeterminate Hanseniase.
Born Jackson Jonathan Nyarko, Kofi was given this nickname, which means ‘born on Friday’ in Twi, a Ghanaian language. He is Headmaster of St. Elizabeth’s Special School in Elimina, Ghana, which provides education for children with special needs.
Mathias is a person affected by leprosy and is personally and professionally committed to involving persons affected in the fight against leprosy and its stigma. He is from Paraguay and was the Pastor/Chaplain at Hospital Mennonita — a referral hospital for leprosy in Paraguay —from 2010 until 2015.
Alice Cruz is the UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members. The Human Rights Council appointed her to lead this mandate on 1 November 2017.
Bill Simmons joined American Leprosy Missions in 2010 to bring care and a cure to those affected by leprosy. His focus is on those suffering from curable illnesses like leprosy and the societal persecution that often accompanies these types of diseases.
This year’s World Leprosy Day marked the second anniversary of the founding of the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy. In the past two years they’ve seen the growth of the partnership from an idea into a collaborative platform that unites […]
This World Leprosy Day, observed on Sunday 26 January, focused on the need to end the stigma and discrimination associated with leprosy by protecting the human rights of people affected. Leprosy was highlighted across media and social platforms reaching a […]
The Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL) hosted a meeting on 13-14 January in Amsterdam to gather input from partner organisations on their work with endemic countries. This was an important and inspiring event. GPZL was launched two years ago […]
The Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL) is supporting high, medium and low leprosy-burden countries by bringing together partners in-country and international stakeholders to work on country-led customised strategies that address local needs and priorities to end leprosy. GPZL spearheads this work in close collaboration with WHO’s […]
In November, a team chaired by Bill Simmons (American Leprosy Missions) undertook an independent evaluation of India’s National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP). The findings were released on 28 January at a high-level meeting in Delhi involving representatives from the Ministry […]
The most high-profile leprosy event in Bangladesh for decades was held in December 2019, initiated by Sasakawa Health Foundation with the Ministry of Health. The 500 invitees included senior civil servants from various ministries, heads of health services from all […]