Speaking to the WHO Leprosy Program Managers in Manila [2012/02/13]
Speaking to the WHO Leprosy Program Managers in Manila In February I had the chance to visit the Philippines to speak before some key people pursuing solutions to leprosy-related issues. This was a regional meeting of national managers in the World Health Organization’s National Leprosy Programme, held in Manila thanks to efforts by the WHO and the Culion Foundation, an NGO in the Philippines actively tackling leprosy issues. As I noted in my speech there, we are close to a milestone goal in the battle against leprosy, namely the reduction of leprosy cases to 1 per 10,000 population worldwide. This does not mean we will no longer face challenges, though. We will need to continue working on the social stigma associated with the disease, its economic impact on leprosy-affected individuals, and other related problems. You can read the transcript of my speech here on our website. I hope you will keep in mind the challenges we have still to overcome in the field of leprosy. |