GPZL update – June 2019

Julie Jacobson (formerly Gates Foundation) has been contracted by the GPZL Secretariat to help identify and design approaches to potential new major donors for zero leprosy. The focus is to fund the Research Agenda (that is, the consensus set of research priorities for leprosy) and for country-based zero leprosy plans. The Secretariat is entering conversations with 10-15 organizations that she recommends for consideration, in consultation with the Resource Mobilization Working Group.

The GPZL Secretariat is also leading on a proposal to the MacArthur Foundation 100&Change competition, a $100 million grant to fund a single proposal that promises real and measurable progress in solving a critical problem of our time. We believe that leprosy is such a critical problem. The proposal involves several ILEP Members coordinated by TLMI, who hosted a two-day planning meeting in June. It will focus on two key elements: a scaled-up multi-country PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) roll-out, combined with a major focus on human rights, particularly on building capacity of persons affected. The Secretariat is also looking at economic modelling to show costs and impact of zero-leprosy strategies, as part of a compelling investment case for GPZL.