【Photo Diary】 (1) Visit to Sri Lanka for Its First National Leprosy Conference

Published on December 26, 2025

I would like to share with you some of the photographs taken during my visit to Sri Lanka from November 6 to 8, 2025, in my capacity as honorary chair of The Nippon Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.

During my stay in the capital Colombo, I attended Sri Lanka’s first national leprosy conference aimed at reinvigorating the country’s efforts against leprosy and the associated stigma and discrimination, with the goal of achieving a leprosy-free country within 10 years.

I was truly honored by the presence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Sri Lanka National Leprosy Conference “Join Hands to End Leprosy,” which was attended by over 300 people, including Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa as well as other national and provincial officials, medical professionals, NGOs and representatives of organizations of people affected by leprosy.

The Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) Initiative (SLI) jointly organized the two-day meeting with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health and WHO. SLI is a strategic alliance between the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, The Nippon Foundation and the Sasakawa Health Foundation for achieving a world without leprosy and problems related to the disease.

During my stay, I also talked with Prime Minister and Minister of Education Dr. Harini Nireka Amarasuriya to discuss the foundation’s support for improving social and educational infrastructure in the country, including my proposal for upgrading the Sri Lanka School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (SLSPO) to university level with government assistance.

Those who attended the reception at the end of the first day of the leprosy conference, were treated to a performance of taiko drumming, an ancient Japanese art form. We also arranged a performance for students at the University of Kelaniya. We organized the two performances as part of our efforts to provide Sri Lankan people with an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Japan through experiencing an important part of traditional Japanese culture.

[November 6, Colombo, Sri Lanka]

Photo of the opening ceremony of the Sri Lanka National Leprosy Conference. — The opening ceremony of the Sri Lanka National Leprosy Conference “Join Hands to End Leprosy” held at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo hotel in downtown Colombo.

Photo of a performance of traditional Sri Lankan dance. — Some 300 participants were welcomed with a performance of traditional

Sri Lankan dance and music.

Photo of Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Yohei Sasakawa. — The National Leprosy Conference commenced under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (right).

At the outset of the conference, he unveiled the Roadmap to Eradicate Leprosy within the next 10 years, highlighting a systematic program, including early case detection, improved hospital treatment and facilities and systematic rehabilitation programs for those left with disabilities.

When we met in Colombo in February, he accepted my proposal for convening the national leprosy conference in 2025 and reconfirmed his intention to attend it in person during his visit to Japan late in September.

Photo of Nalinda Jayatissa and Yohei Sasakawa. — With Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.

The minister informed the audience that although Sri Lanka eliminated leprosy as a public health threat in 1995, successfully meeting WHO’s target of a disease prevalence rate of less than one case of per 10,000 population, the battle was not yet over with new patients continuing to emerge. Each year approximately 1,500–2,000 new leprosy cases are detected in Sri Lanka, around 10% of whom are children below the age of ten, he revealed.

He was confident that the conference would further strengthen national efforts to halt the transmission of leprosy, he added.

Photo of Yohei Sasakawa. — In my keynote address I stated: “The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious slowdown of leprosy programs worldwide, and Sri Lanka is no exception. Unfortunately, there is a growing concern that hidden cases are on the increase, particularly among children.”

“This February I had the privilege of attending an LPA (Leprosy People Association) meeting,” I went on, adding that I was deeply moved and inspired to see the courage and confidence with which persons affected by leprosy are working in unity and full of hope for the future.

“It is because of such remarkable efforts, I am confident that today’s conference will serve as a significant step forward in the journey toward zero leprosy in Sri Lanka.”

“When we unite our hearts and efforts, a world without leprosy will no longer remain a distant dream. Together, let us make the impossible possible,” I concluded.

Photo of a press conference. — A press conference at the National Leprosy Conference was covered by a number of journalists and camera crews.

(To be continued)

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【Photo Diary】 (2) Visit to Sri Lanka for Its First National Leprosy Conference

December 26, 2025

[November 6, Colombo, Sri Lanka] I would like to share with you some of the photographs taken during my visit to Sri Lanaka from November 6 to 8, 2025, in my capacity as honorary chair of The Nippon Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination. With Prime Minister Harini Nireka Amarasuriya, who also serves as Education Minister.At the meeting at her official residence Temple Tree