TOKYO, Jan. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sasakawa Health
Foundation has announced the start of its first-ever social media
campaign with organizations of persons affected by leprosy.
Taking part are 17 people's organizations in 16 countries that
are linking up under a common logo and slogan to raise awareness of
leprosy via Facebook and other platforms in the run-up to World
Leprosy Day on January 26, 2020. The
project is being coordinated
and supported by Sasakawa Health Foundation, a foundation based in
Tokyo, Japan.
Also known as Hansen's disease, leprosy is an infectious disease
that mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Over 200,000
new cases are reported worldwide each year. Although completely
curable, the disease can cause permanent disability if untreated
and continues to be stigmatized in many parts of the globe.
Using the slogan "A Hansen's Disease-Free World with
Knowledge and Love" and the hashtag
#WHDD2020, the joint action for World Leprosy Day 2020 grew out
of regional meetings of people's organizations on leprosy held in
Africa, Asia and Latin
America in 2019. These meetings, together with a Global
Forum held in Manila in
September 2019, were hosted by the
Office of Joint Program on Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) of Sasakawa
Health Foundation and The Nippon Foundation.
Together with The Nippon Foundation, Sasakawa Health Foundation
has been working for a world without leprosy for more than 45
years. Yohei Sasakawa, The Nippon
Foundation's chairman, has served as the WHO's Goodwill Ambassador
for Leprosy Elimination since 2001 and in that role has
visited around 100
leprosy-endemic countries.
In recent years, both foundations have come to place more
emphasis on addressing the social and economic consequences of
leprosy, with Nippon Foundation Chairman and Goodwill Ambassador
Yohei Sasakawa spearheading efforts
to have the disease taken up as a human rights issue. This led to
the adoption of a historic UN General Assembly resolution on
"Elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy
and their family members" in 2010. Since then, the foundations
continue to play a leading role in efforts to eliminate the stigma
and discrimination associated with leprosy, in collaboration with
organizations of persons affected by the disease and other
partners.
Commenting on the joint action, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for
Leprosy Elimination Yohei Sasakawa said: "It is encouraging to see
organizations of persons affected by leprosy that have been active
in their own countries collaborating with their counterparts
overseas. Individual threads are weak, but together they form a
strong rope. I am very happy that Sasakawa Health Foundation is
supporting this initiative."
The Office of Joint Program on Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) of
Sasakawa Health Foundation and The Nippon Foundation remains
committed to working with the WHO, national governments and partner
organizations for a world without leprosy and the stigma and
discrimination it causes.
For Joint Action details, please visit:
https://www.shf.or.jp/information/7489?lang=en
About Sasakawa Health Foundation:
https://www.shf.or.jp/?lang=en
In addition to the photograph accompanying this release, further
images as well as the list of the participating organizations may
be downloaded from:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!Atbpjs-exsO5nmug_xO9VFJ4QbYj?e=ccBsJI
View original content to download
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/joint-action-for-world-leprosy-day-2020-300990078.html
SOURCE Sasakawa Health Foundation