The Nippon Foundation to Support Ukrainian Evacuees Wishing to Return Home to Live with Husbands, Parents (2) [2024/03/15]
Speaking at the press conference The Nippon Foundation held on February 21, 2024, to provide an update on its humanitarian assistance for Ukrainian evacuees, Ms. Olesandra Godenko, who came to Japan in September 2022, said she wished to return to Ukraine to care for her ailing mother. “I will miss Japan and my friends here when I leave,” she said.
Two Ukrainian ladies living in Japan joined the press conference on February 21 by Executive Director Jumpei Sasakawa of The Nippon Foundation to provide an update on its support for Ukrainian evacuees ahead of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Ms. Yuliia Boiarchuk, who came to Japan in September 2022 with her husband and is living in Tokyo, said: “My husband is originally from Donetsk, and has not seen his family for more than 10 years. He has no place to return to. I hope that we can live together in Japan for as long as possible.”
Asked what she wanted to do in Japan, she said: “I attend a Japanese language school and want to improve my Japanese language ability. I want to be a bridge between Ukraine and Japan. I hope that there is something I can do that will benefit both Japan and Ukraine.”
Ms. Olesandra Godenko, who also came to Japan in September 2022 and is living in Osaka Prefecture in western Japan, said she intends to return to Ukraine to care for her ailing mother.
“When I first arrived in Japan in September 2022, I was scared. I was far from home and did not know what was going to happen. Now I am working in a sushi chain restaurant. During my time here, I have been able to make Japanese friends and I have come to like Japan, so I will miss Japan and my friends here when I leave.”
“I want The Nippon Foundation to know that I am very grateful for their support for people who wish to return,” she added.
(End)
Speaking at the press conference on February 21, 2024, Ms. Yuliia Boiarchuk, who came to Japan in September 2022 with her husband, says: “My husband is originally from Donetsk, and has not seen his family for more than 10 years. He has no place to return to. I hope that we can live together in Japan for as long as possible.”
The Nippon Foundation to Support Ukrainian Evacuees Wishing to Return Home to Live with Husbands, Parents (1) [2024/03/14]
(From left to right) Evacuees from Ukraine Ms. Olesandra Godenko and Ms. Yuliia Boiarchuk, and The Nippon Foundation Executive Director Jumpei Sasakawa attend a press conference in Tokyo on February 21, 2024, to provide an update on The Nippon Foundation’s humanitarian assistance for Ukrainian evacuees in Japan ahead of the second anniversary of the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The Nippon Foundation has decided to provide Ukrainian evacuees in Japan who wish to return home with airfare and a one-time payment of 300,000 yen (about $2,000) to help them restart their lives in their home country.
The decision was announced by Mr. Jumpei Sasakawa, executive director of the foundation, at a press conference on February 21 to provide an update on the foundation’s support for Ukrainian evacuees ahead of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. Also taking part were two Ukrainian evacuees−Ms. Yuliia Boiarchuk and Ms. Olesandra Godenko.
Mr. Sasakawa said a survey conducted by the foundation in November and December last year showed that while an increasing number of Ukrainians in Japan want to stay here over the long term, some of them requested the foundation to help them return home to live with their husbands and/or care for their elderly parents.
The foundation informed them of the new program on February 14 and about 40 people expressed a desire to return in the near future, some as early as April. Out of some 2,000 Ukrainians the foundation has supported with humanitarian assistance, roughly 200 are expected to apply for assistance to return home over the coming year, Mr. Sasakawa said.
The online poll, covering 1,022 Ukrainian evacuees, found that 39.0% said they “want to stay in Japan for as long as possible,” jumping over 24.7% registered in a similar survey a year ago.
For the first time, they outnumbered those who “want to live in Japan until the situation in Ukraine stabilizes” (33.9%), which had been the most common answer in the foundation’s four previous surveys.
Combining the responses shows that more than two in three Ukrainian evacuees (72.9%) want to become long-term residents in Japan, an increase of 7.4 percentage points on the previous year. Just 1.8% wanted to return home as soon as possible.
The results of the survey can be taken as an indication of their growing recognition that there is no end in sight to the war in their home country.
As of February 29, Japan was home to 2,097 Ukrainian evacuees, according to the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. The survey respondents were among some 2,000 evacuees who have received humanitarian assistance from the foundation, including air tickets to come to Japan and one million yen (about $6,800) per year for living expenses.
The foundation has conducted these surveys five times so far to follow the evacuees’ daily lives in Japan and find out how they feel about living here and what they need.
The survey also showed that less than half (47.2%) were employed. Of those who were not, 56.7% were looking for work. In other words, roughly one-third of Ukrainian evacuees want to work, but have not been able to find a job. In addition, roughly 75% of those who were employed were working part-time.
Asked what kind of support they needed other than financial benefits and daily necessities, job placement services and vocational training (44.7%) topped the list, followed by assistance in making friends with Japanese (34.0%) and Japanese language lessons (29.4%).
Regarding their proficiency in Japanese, considered by many as a key to employment, the number of people unable to speak or understand Japanese fell from around 70% in July 2022 to 31%.
Nonetheless, nearly three-quarters of evacuees struggled with everyday conversations in Japanese, with only 26% saying they were able to carry on a conversation or discuss more difficult topics.
(To be continued)
At the press conference on February 21, 2024, The Nippon Foundation Executive Director Jumpei Sasakawa announces a new program to provide Ukrainian evacuees who wish to return home with airfare and 300,000 yen (about$2,000) to help them restart their lives in their country.
I Send “Don’t Forget Leprosy” Message from the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s Highest Peak (3) [2024/03/08]
During his descent, the author celebrates with guides at the Horombo Hut campsite on February 12, 2024.
The following is a day-to-day report on the last two days of our ascent and descent of Kilimanjaro:
Day 6 (February 12):
Battling low oxygen levels and cold temperatures, we began the final leg of the ascent, leaving Kibo Hut (Altitude: 4,720m) at 11:25 p.m. (February 11).
My progress was relatively smooth, punctuated by intermittent two-minute standing breaks.
But at an altitude of around 5,400 meters, I found I was slowing down and taking more frequent breaks, resting my weight on my hiking sticks. I felt drowsy.
Aware of how I was doing, Dr. Tomoya Ikeda, a physician and experienced mountaineer, told me that if my condition worsened, he would have to consider calling off the expedition. I told him: “It would be unfortunate if we had to give up at this point.”
Then I took a longer break and had hot tea with sugar that a porter brought to me. I resumed climbing, more steadily than before.
Before long, I heard songs being sung by porters in support of other climbing parties that were going through tough times. Then I realized the porters were singing “Kaicho,” the Japanese word for “chairman”, to encourage me.
The magic of hot tea and the porters’ songs of encouragement inspired me mentally and physically to keep going.
About six hours after we left Kibo Hut, we reached Gilman’s Point (5,685 meters), one of Mount Kilimanjaro’s three summits, at 5:33 a.m. It was here that I unfurled the “Don’t Forget Leprosy” banner.
We then began our descent, reaching Kibo Hut in 2.5 hours and Horombo Hut (3,720 meters) four hours later. The average temperature was 5 degrees below zero during the daytime and 14 degrees below zero at night. On this day we walked for 12.5 hours, covering 21 kilometers.
Displaying a “Don’t Forget Leprosy” banner at 5,685-meter-high Gilman’s Point on Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on February 12, 2024, sending out the message that now is the time to actively pursue the goal of zero leprosy.
Day 7 (February 13):
At 8:00 a.m., we held a ceremony to celebrate our successful climb at Horombo Hut campsite (Altitude: 3,720 meters). At 3:30 p.m., some of our party, myself included, left by rescue car on doctor’s advice after the long expedition and reached the Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel at 7:30 p.m.
“I did this to provide inspiration to everyone around the world who is involved in eliminating leprosy. I hope this will encourage people to become even more involved going forward,” I said in a statement issued upon completing the climb.
I have learned that for an 85-year-old senior citizen with a Grade 1 disability−I have a pacemaker implanted in my chest−reaching the top of Kilimanjaro would merit a place in the Guinness World Records. An application is being considered
(End)
At Horombo Hut after seven grueling days of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. To fire up myself before tackling the mountain, I had my hair cropped by a barber in Belgrade on February 3 before flying to Tanzania.
The certificate, issued by Kilimanjaro National Park, confirms that I successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, at age 85 on February 12, 2024. It was presented to me after we returned to the to the Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel.
Guides of a local tour company were all happy helping a senior citizen aged 85 with a Grade 1 disability−I have a pacemaker implanted in my chest−climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.
I Send “Don’t Forget Leprosy” Message from the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s Highest Peak (2) [2024/03/07]
The following is a day-to-day report on the first five days of my ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Day 1 (February 7):
After a final checkup of our climbing gear, a nine-member expedition, including two physicians with expertise in mountain climbing, left Marangu Gate (Altitude: 1,860 meters) at 12:45 p.m.
We spent about 6 hours trekking 8 kilometers to reach Mandara Hut (2,700 meters) at 6:45 p.m. We took several brief breaks on the way as we did throughout the expedition. The average temperature stood at 23 degrees Celsius during the day and 9 degrees at night.
On the first day of our climb, we walked for 8 kilometers through forest.
Day 2 (February 8):
At 8:10 a.m., we left Mandara Hut (Altitude: 2,700 meters) and took almost 10 hours, including seven brief rest stops and a lunch break, to cover 11 kilometers. We reached Horombo Hut campsite (3,720 meters) at 5:50 p.m. The temperature was around 20 degrees Celsius during the day and 1 degree below zero at night.
We covered 11 kilometers in about 10 hours, including rest stops, passing through shrubland and gaining 1,000 meters.
Day 3 (February 9):
At 9:25 a.m., we left Horombo Hut (Altitude: 3,720 meters) and reached Zebra Rocks (4,034 meters) at 10:50 a.m. From there we retraced our steps to Horombo Hut−a process necessary to acclimatize to the higher altitude and avoid mountain sickness−arriving at 12:30 p.m..
The temperature was around 15 degrees Celsius during the day and around 1 degree at night.
We spent about two hours ascending 300 meters and then going back down again for altitude acclimation purposes.
Day 4 (February 10):
We left Horombo Hut (Altitude: 3,720 meters) at 7:40 a.m. and spent about six hours and 45 minutes covering some 10 kilometers to reach Kibo Hut (4,720 meters) at 2:25 p.m. The temperature was around 4 degrees Celsius during the day and 5 degrees below zero at night.
At Kibo Hut, an altitude of 4,720 meters. The summit of Kilimanjaro was still some distance away!
Day 5 (February 11):
We left Kibo Hut (Altitude: 4,720m) at around 8:55 a.m. and climbed to an altitude of 5,047 meters. After a brief stop, we hiked back down to Kibo Hut, arriving at 11:50 a.m. This too was to acclimatize to the thinner air at this altitude. The temperature was around 4 degrees Celsius during the day and 5 degrees below zero at night.
We spend another day acclimatizing to the altitude.
I Send “Don’t Forget Leprosy” Message from the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s Highest Peak (1) [2024/03/06]
Displaying a “Don’t Forget Leprosy” banner at 5,685-meter Gilman’s Point, one of Mt. Kilimanjaro’s three summit points, at 5:33 a.m. on February 12, 2024.
On the last leg of my 17-day tour of Europe and Africa, I visited Tanzania from February 6 and successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise a “Don’t Forget Leprosy” banner atop Africa’s highest peak.
This followed the ceremony to launch Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination against Persons Affected by Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, which I issued jointly with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at WHO headquarters in Geneva on January 31. The annual appeal that I initiated in 2006 is issued on or near World Leprosy Day, which falls on the last Sunday of January.
Global Appeal 2024 was the 19th appeal in the series and aimed at sending out the message that it is time to reinvigorate efforts against the disease that were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and actively pursue the goal of zero leprosy.
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was a follow-up to my ascent of the 3,776-meter-high Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest peak, in the summer of 2022, when I also displayed a “Don’t Forget Leprosy” banner at the summit. I did so to give a boost to the “Don’t Forget Leprosy” campaign that I launched in August 2021 to ensure that leprosy and those who are affected by it were not forgotten amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The success of the climb as an awareness-raising activity made me wonder about how I could do it again in a place where attention would matter even more. I decided to aim for Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
With many unreported cases of leprosy believed to exist in Africa, I was determined as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination and chairman of The Nippon Foundation to display the banner atop the continent’s highest summit to mark a fresh start in the fight against leprosy in Africa and other parts of the world.
Mount Kilimanjaro is similar to Mount Fuji in that it is volcanic and freestanding, meaning that it is not part of a mountain range. Both mountains can be climbed without technical mountaineering skills. But Mount Kilimanjaro is not just the highest mountain in Tanzania; it is the highest in all of Africa. Climbing it would be an opportunity to bring attention to leprosy throughout the entire continent.
I am an 85-year-old senior citizen with a Grade 1 disability−I have a pacemaker implanted in my chest. My family jokingly said this isn’t something suitable for a man of my age to be undertaking. But I was completely serious.
With Japan’s GDP Ranking Slipping, 70% of Its Youths Concerned About Future: Poll [2024/02/28]
Uncertainty regarding Japan’s future in light of the IMF forecast that the country’s global GDP ranking will fall.
Last October, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast in its World Economic Outlook that Germany would dislodge Japan as the world’s third largest economy on a U.S. dollar basis in 2023. This was 13 years after Japan was overtaken by China as the second largest economy in 2010.
Japan’s continued fall in the world GDP rankings drew a chorus of pessimistic comments on mainstream and social media about the future of the nation’s economy.
Against this background, The Nippon Foundation conducted a survey from December 1 to 4 to look into how young Japanese see their own and their country’s future, covering 1,000 men and women aged between 17 and 19. The nationwide online poll also asked about their views on building assets through investment and on cars and the mobility of people and goods.
Asked whether they were aware of the IMF forecast, about one fourth (26.4%) responded in the affirmative. By gender, roughly twice as many males (34.8%) as females (17.5%) said yes.
The poll showed that over 70% (70.8%) were concerned about Japan’s uncertain future while over one in 10 (12.7%) said they were not. 16.5% said they had no particular feeling about the future direction of the country.
Regarding their own future, more than 60% (62.9%) were worried and one in five (19.9%) were not, with 17.2% saying they did not feel anything in particular.
Two thirds (66.7%) expected Japan’s world ranking in terms of nominal GDP to either “fall further” (16.9%) or be “more likely to fall further” (49.8%) in the future. By gender, males (22.4%) were more pessimistic than females (11.1%) that it would “fall further”.
On February 15, Japan’s Cabinet Office announced that the nation’s nominal GDP in U.S. dollars was $4,210.6 billion, compared to Germany’s $4,456.1 billion, dropping it to fourth place in the world’s GDP rankings.
The survey also asked the respondents about their views on investing in financial instruments mainly in the context of the Nippon Individual Savings Account (NISA), a Japanese government tax-free stock investment program for individuals that was set for a major overhaul in January 2024.
Japan launched NISA in 2014, modeled after the U.K.'s Individual Savings Account (ISA) system. Among other things, the revised NISA raises from 1.2 million yen (about $8,000) to 3.6 million yen (about $24,000) the annual ceiling on equity investments that are exempt from the 20% capital gains tax, and extends the tax-exempt period from five years to an indefinite term.
For months, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida flagged this makeover of NISA as part of his pet policy of "new capitalism" aimed at boosting household wealth and asset holdings by encouraging individuals to shift from savings to investments in the equities market.
In responding to the survey, more than 40% (44.0%) said they had been aware of the NISA overhaul in January with the remaining 56.0% saying they had not.
A little over 40% (41.4%) said they were interested in building wealth through investing. One in five (19.4%) saw domestic stocks as the most attractive market, followed by stocks in developed countries (13.2%) and those in emerging markets (5.7%). But about half of men (50.2%) and almost two thirds of women (63.6%) said they didn’t know or had nothing concrete in mind at this stage.
On the subject of automobiles and the mobility of people and goods, the top hopes of young Japanese were to see a reduction in accidents (41.6%), followed by a reduction in road congestion (26.8%), a reduction in environmental impact (25.4%), more efficient logistics (22.0%), a reduction in transport costs (21.8), and an increase in the use of autonomous cars (18.7%).
Topping the list of their concerns about cars and mobility were the increasing number of accidents involving older drivers (39.3%), followed by the possibility of vehicles becoming uncontrollable due to driver error (24.2%), the increasing cost of vehicle ownership (16.8%), the increasing impact on the environment (16.6%), and the increasing cost of mobility (14.6%).
Asked about the advisability of requiring older drivers to give up their license when they reach a certain age, almost 80% (77.2%) approved of the idea. When asked at what age, close to 30% (29.5%) said 70, followed by 65 (24.5%), 75 (21.9%), 80 (15.0%) and 85 (2.8%).
Interest in building assets through investment.
Requirement that older drivers surrender their driver’s license upon reaching a certain age.
The Nippon Foundation Going All Out Delivering Emergency Supplies to Quake-Hit People on Noto Peninsula, Receives 747 Million Yen in Donations (2) [2024/02/21]
Cardboard beds provided by The Nippon Foundation have been installed at a gymnasium in Suzu City on Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture, being used as an evacuation center since a powerful earthquake hit the area on January 1, 2024.
As part of its efforts to improve the quality life for people living in evacuation centers on the Noto Peninsula in central Japan hit by a powerful earthquake on New Year’s Day, The Nippon Foundation provided 1,200 cardboard beds that have been installed at such shelters in Suzu City, Anamizu Town and other municipalities in the affected areas.
Donations to its Special Fund for Disaster Preparedness from the general public were used to purchase 1,000 beds, with the remaining 200 provided in cooperation with clubs and club stakeholders of the Japan Professional Basketball League, the operator of Japan’s men’s professional basketball B. LEAGUE, and the Japan Professional Football League, the operator of Japan’s men’s professional soccer J. LEAGUE.
The floors of gymnasiums being used as evacuation centers are very cold, and create hygienic concerns as well. Compared to the floor, the temperature on a cardboard bed feels roughly 10 degrees Celsius warmer to the human body. Many people staying in evacuation shelters, who were having difficulty sleeping because of the cold, welcomed the arrival of the cardboard beds.
According to the Ishikawa prefectural government, the death toll from the January 1 temblor, which toppled buildings, buckled roads and set off landslides and tsunami on the Sea of Japan coast, has reached 242 with 9 still unaccounted-for as of February 15, making it Japan's deadliest earthquake since 2016.
I would like to extend my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives and to all who were impacted by the earthquake.
The quake left more than 46,000 houses in the prefecture destroyed or severely damaged. More than 13,000 people were still living at evacuation shelters and some 34,000 households remained without water supplies as of mid-February, according to NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster.
The foundation stands ready to provide additional support as needed and requested, while keeping in close touch with local authorities and those affected.
(End)
Cardboard beds and partitions provided by The Nippon Foundation and installed in a gymnasium in Suzu City on the Noto Peninsula which has been used as an evacuation shelter after a powerful earthquake hit on New Year’s Day.
Evacuees and volunteers working in groups to assemble the cardboard beds (left) and partitions around the beds for providing privacy (right).
The Nippon Foundation Going All Out Delivering Emergency Supplies to Quake-Hit People on Noto Peninsula, Receives 747 Million Yen in Donations (1) [2024/02/20]
Mr. Masahiro Nakai, the former leader of the iconic boy band SMAP and now one of the most popular television hosts in Japan, contributed 30 million yen (about $201,000) to support people impacted by a powerful earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year’s Day.
Since a powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck on the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year’s Day, The Nippon Foundation has been doing its utmost to deliver emergency supplies and engage in cleanup and recovery operations in the hardest-hit areas.
At the same time, it has been accepting donations from the general public to its Special Fund for Disaster Preparedness to support affected people in the areas on the Sea of Japan coast as well as NGOs and volunteer organizations helping them.
As of February 19, the foundation has received a total of 746,600,314 yen (about 4,970,000) from 140,247 donors. The total included funds donated via the internet through Japanese web services provider Yahoo! Japan and flea market app operator Mercari Inc. as well as through Love Pocket Fund, jointly established by The Nippon Foundation and three former members of the iconic boy band SMAP−Messrs. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori.
Among the donors was Mr. Masahiro Nakai, the former leader of SMAP and now one of Japan’s most popular television hosts, who contributed 30 million yen (about $200,000) to the special fund in addition to the 50 million yen (about $333,000) his former bandmates donated earlier for the relief efforts.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all the generous donations made to help people affected by the earthquake.
Donations received from January 1 to March 31, 2024, are being used as a special fund to provide immediate emergency relief to the disaster areas on the Noto Peninsula.
Emergency supplies The Nippon Foundation has delivered to community centers, evacuation shelters and medical facilities in the affected areas by land and sea included 10 large-scale power generators (100V/200V: 25kVA~60kVA), 4,000 liters of kerosene for heating use, 2,000 liters of diesel fuel for trucks and power generators, 20 large steel plates for enabling vehicles to traverse rough terrain, and portable reusable water systems such as 100 free-standing shower kits and 200 hand-washing sinks.
The shower kits and sinks, manufactured by WOTA Corp. of Tokyo, are self-contained systems that can filter and reuse water multiple times at evacuation centers where water supplies have been cut off. Their cutting-edge, automated water treatment control enables evacuees to reuse more than 98% of the water they use, the company said.
Mr. Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of the Nippon Foundation, said: “While consulting with local authorities and conducting relief activities, we have come to know that we needed to help improve the quality of life for evacuees.”
The foundation worked with WOTA to procure 100 of the shower kits, dubbed WOTA BOX, from across the country, he said. Of these, 30 each were installed in evacuation centers in Suzu and Wajima, and seven each in the municipalities of Nanao, Noto, Shika and Anamizu. The remaining 12 were set up at medical facilities that needed them.
Between January 10 and February 7, The Nippon Foundation chartered the 462-ton RORO (Roll-on/roll-off) cargo ship “Aguni” to transport emergency supplies by sea, with the vessel sailing almost every day between Kanazawa Port in the prefectural capital and Suzu and Wajima cities on the northern tip of the peninsula where the damage was most severe.
Given that roads were extensively damaged on the peninsula, hindering the work of rescue services, the foundation decided to transport emergency goods by sea in consultation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and local governments.
(To be continued)
The Nippon Foundation installed 100 of WOTA BOX shower units (left) and 200 free-standing WOSH sinks (right) at evacuation shelters on the Noto Peninsula, which had been without water supplies since the powerful earthquake on New Year’s Day.
The shower unit is a self-contained system with water passing through six filters before emerging as ultra-soft water that is gentle on the skin. This enables evacuees to reuse more than 98% of the water they use. Soap and shampoo can be used as always, making it ideal for post-disaster showers.
Mr. Mitsuyuki Unno, executive director of the Nippon Foundation, says: “We have come to know that we needed to help improve the quality of life for evacuees.” Seen behind is the 462-ton RORO (Roll-on/roll-off) cargo ship “Aguni” which the foundation chartered to transport emergency supplies to Suzu and Wajima cities on the northern tip of the Noto Peninsula.
The Nippon Foundation, WHO Jointly Launch Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy (2) [2024/02/16]
In conversation with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (right) during the ceremony at WHO headquarters on January 31, 2024, to launch the Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy.
Also contributing a video message to the ceremony at WHO headquarters in Geneva on January 31 to launch the Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy was Dr. Bardan Jung Rana, the WHO Representative in Bangladesh, which has the fifth-highest number of leprosy cases in the world.
He noted that at national leprosy conferences in 2019 and 2023, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had declared her firm commitment to achieving zero leprosy in her country by 2030, and he expressed willingness to work with the government and the private sector to realize this goal.
In a conversation with me, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO's Global Leprosy (Hansen's disease) Strategy 2021-2030 clearly sets out what needs to be done to achieve zero leprosy, and that the WHO will do everything to support countries in implementing it.
He emphasized that promoting community cooperation and eliminating stigma and discrimination through a people-centered approach will contribute to early diagnosis and treatment and prevent disability.
He also spoke of my activities as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination over the years. I was honored and humbled when he said: “You (have) inspired me and representing WHO, I can also say you (have) inspired us” to work for a leprosy-free world.
I noted that WHO and Sasakawa Leprosy Initiative have been collaborating on leprosy elimination for almost 50 years, and that working on one particular cause for this long is quite rare. "There has to be an outcome from this long collaboration," I said.
I told the participants that I have visited more than 120 countries in my quest for a world without leprosy and stigma and discrimination associated with it.
I then announced that I would be travelling to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and hoist a banner with the message “Don’t Forget Leprosy” at the summit to mark a fresh start in the fight against leprosy in Africa and other parts of the world.
Earlier, on January 28, I issued a joint message for World Leprosy Day with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros, calling for “a well-informed, inclusive society, where every member of the community has a role to play and can contribute towards a leprosy-free world.”
(End)
The text of the joint message for World Leprosy Day 2024 can be seen here.
During the ceremony to launch the Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy, both WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and I speak about our vision for a world without leprosy and the stigma and discrimination it causes.
The Nippon Foundation, WHO Jointly Launch Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy (1) [2024/02/15]
A ceremony at WHO Headquarters in Geneva on January 31, 2024, to launch the Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy. The annual appeal was read out by Ms. Anushka Sarna (second from left) from India and Mr. Ahlula Moyo (third from left) from South Africa with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (right) and the author (left) looking on.
On the first leg of my 17-day tour of Europe and Africa, I visited Geneva to attend a ceremony on January 31 to jointly launch the Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy, with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The 19th annual appeal called on people to learn the facts about leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, share accurate information and create a world where no one is left behind because of a treatable disease.
“Let us break the chains of discrimination, work toward a leprosy-free world, and ensure dignity and care for everyone affected by this disease,” the appeal said. The ceremony was organized by WHO and Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) Initiative.
The appeal that I initiated in 2006 is issued on or near World Leprosy Day, which falls on the last Sunday of January. It calls for an end to the unwarranted discrimination that persons affected by leprosy continue to face and aims to spread awareness of this issue.
Over the years, this appeal has been endorsed by influential individuals or organizations around the world. To date, the list of supporters includes Nobel Peace Prize laureates, the International Bar Association, the World Medical Association and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. This year, the WHO has joined the list.
At the launch ceremony at WHO headquarters, the appeal was read out by Ms. Anushka Sarna from India and Mr. Ahlula Moyo from South Africa, children of WHO staff members based in Geneva.
The event began with a Stradivarius Mini-Concert featuring outstanding young violinists Ms. Rino Yoshimoto from Japan and Mr. Giuseppe Gibonni from Italy. They both played Stradivarius instruments on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation, The Nippon Foundation’s partner organization, which owns 21 instruments made by Antonio Stradivari and Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù and loans them free of charge to promising young musicians and those active internationally, regardless of nationality.
In a video message for the ceremony, Dr. Beatriz Miranda Galarza, the new UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy, noted there are some 200,000 new cases of leprosy reported globally each year and millions of people living with disability due to leprosy, calling for establishing a system of support and care based on human rights.
"Guaranteeing access to a high-quality support and care system is not only a human rights obligation, but also a condition to ensure the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their families," she said.
Dr. Roderico H. Ofrin, the WHO Representative in India, which reports the highest number of cases in the world, said in his video message that India's five-year National Strategic Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy, launched in 2023, prioritizes combating stigma and ensuring the protection of the human rights of persons affected by leprosy.
A critical component of this plan is to repeal all remaining discriminatory laws at the national and sub-national levels, he said, and it also includes the provision of psychological care and counselling to promote mental health.
(To be continued)
Speaking at an online press conference with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) at WHO Headquarters in Geneva on January 31, 2024, prior to the ceremony to launch the Global Appeal 2024 to End Stigma and Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy.
At the press conference with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (left) in Geneva on January 31, I renewed my determination to work until the end of my days for a world without leprosy and stigma and discrimination associated with it.
The January 31 ceremony began with a Stradivarius Mini-Concert featuring outstanding young violinists Ms. Rino Yoshimoto from Japan (left) and Mr. Giuseppe Gibonni from Italy. They both played Stradivarius instruments on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation, The Nippon Foundation’s partner organization.
From left, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ms. Rino Yoshimoto from Japan, Mr. Giuseppe Gibonni from Italy and the author at WHO Headquarters in Geneva on January 31.