Disease Prevention and Control / Communicable Diseases / Leprosy
Nippon Foundation: A Partner in the Fight against Leprosy |
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The Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation (SMHF), affiliated with the Nippon Foundation of Japan, has been an active partner with WHO in the fight against leprosy (also referred to as Hansen's disease): 
"Outline of Activities: The SMHF's prime focus has been to contribute toward the elimination of leprosy from the world. The Foundation considers it more appropriate to deal with leprosy, not as a separate and independent phenomenon, but rather it within the context of other health issues of developing countries.The SMHF considers that final responsibility for public health issues should rest with national governments. Therefore it believes in pooling its resources and expertise in such a way as to assist the efforts of the countries themselves to deal with the issues. It sees this as a better alternative to a case in which the 'haves' simply give to the 'have-nots.' With this concept as its guiding principle, the SMHF collaborates with governments, international agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and with non-governmental organizations such as the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP). Together, these partners devise and execute plans for the global elimination of leprosy. Major Projects in Recent Years—Elimination of Leprosy: At the 44th World Health Assembly of 1991, the WHO Member States pledged to eliminate Leprosy by the year 2000, defining 'elimination' as the reduction of the number of newly diagnosed cases to one patient per ten thousand people in the population. The governments of leprosy-endemic countries, international agencies and non-governmental organizations worldwide began to coordinate their efforts to achieve this target. The SMHF, in association with the WHO and ILEP, supported leprosy control activities in endemic countries, including Brazil. In addition, it worked jointly with WHO and Ministries of Health in the coutnries to organize several International Leprosy-Elimination Conferences, providing funding which helped to accelerate the united international effort " and establishing the Global Alliance for the Elimination of Leprosy. Today, more than 25 years after the establishment of the SMHF, the global rate of leprosy has fallen, and great progress has been made in eliminating the diseases. The partners in the Global Alliance are committed to maintaining the momentum of leprosy elimination. Source: Profiles of Affiliated Organizations, Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, Outline of Activities and Major Projects in Recent Years, Elimination of Leprosy. This information is referred to in the list of WHO leprosy partnerships in Leprosy Partnerships, Leprosy, World Health Organization, Regional Office for Southeast Asia (WHOSEA). Partner Links: The purpose of the links listed below is to encourage networking and information exchange in the area of leprosy elimination. Leprosy Elimination 2005: Leprosy is curable! Free treatment is available at all primary health centers! Discrimination has no place! (Main Nippon Foundation leprosy index)
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Links of Interest to portions of the Nippon Foundation's web page that users seem to find particularly important
PAHO Leprosy Page | WHO Leprosy Page
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