Despite Solid Progress towards Eliminating Hansen’s Disease as Public Health

 

Threat, Secretary-General Says, Patients Still Face Discrimination

 

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the 2010 World Forum on Hansen’s Disease (leprosy), held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, 24-26 November:

Honourable National Assemblyman Kim Choon-jin,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to greet all the participants in the World Forum on Hansen’s Disease — the first international meeting of its kind.

You are addressing an illness that causes more than physical suffering; too often, it brings isolation and fear.  For centuries, people thought there was no cure.  Now we know better.

Hansen’s disease may be hard to catch, but it is easy to cure.  Thanks to donations from the pharmaceutical industry, all people who are affected can get the drugs they need for free.

There is more good news.  The global prevalence of the disease has been cut by 90 per cent over the past two decades.  We are on the verge of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem.

But discrimination continues.  Patients are still denied their rights.  We have to help them.

That is why this Forum is so important and why the very holding of it represents real progress.

You will be sharing experiences on how to empower patients and get solutions.

People with Hansen’s disease know better than anyone else what they need.  They should be consulted every step of the way.

Working together, we can give every patient the treatment they deserve and protect the right of every person with Hansen’s disease to live fully and equally in society.

I wish you a most successful forum.  The United Nations, especially the World Health Organization (WHO), will work closely with you now and in the future.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record