Conference in Norway Marks 150 Years Since Discovery of the Leprosy Bacillus by Dr. Hansen (1)

In my capacity as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination and chairman of The Nippon Foundation, I visited Bergen, Norway, in late June to attend a two-day international conference to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the discovery of Mycobacterium leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, by the Norwegian Dr. Gerhard Armauer Hansen in 1873.

Organized by the Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen's Disease) Initiative (SLI) and the University of Bergen, “The Bergen International Conference on Hansen’s Disease:150 Years Since the Discovery of the Leprosy Bacillus” brought together over 200 stakeholders from around the world, including senior government officials, medical, human rights and historical preservation experts as well as researchers, NGOs and organizations of persons affected by the disease.

Among them were Ms. Ingvild Kjerkol, Norwegian Minister of Health and Care Services, Japanese Ambassador to Norway Hiroshi Kawamura, Rector Margareth Hagen of the University of Bergen, Mayor of Bergen Linn Kristin Engø, and Dr. Hansen’s great grandson Mr. Abbi Patrix.

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 the stigma and discrimination it causes.

The conference focused on medical efforts against leprosy, issues of human rights and dignity, and preserving the history of leprosy for the lessons it can teach future generations. All three are pillars of the SLI’s activities.

In my keynote speech to the conference on June 21, I acknowledged the extraordinary advances made by medical professionals since Dr. Hansen’s discovery that leprosy was neither a curse nor a punishment from God, but a chronic disease caused by a bacillus.

The discovery of the leprosy bacillus was a watershed moment in the history of leprosy and global health, marking the first time that a pathogen had been identified as causing a disease in humans. It also had far-reaching consequences for global health, helping to transform approaches to disease and infection.

The conference was held in Grieg Hall in Bergen, the second　largest city in Norway, where Dr. Hansen was born and later made his historic discovery in 1873 at only 32 years of age.

I told delegates that the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) had turned leprosy into a curable disease and that some 16 million patients have been treated and cured over the past 40 years.

“These accomplishments may lead you to believe that leprosy is a disease of the past,” but “unfortunately, leprosy is an on-going disease,” I stated, noting that even today there are more than 200,000 new cases of the disease recorded each year.

I also pointed to the harsh social stigma and discrimination that still affects millions of persons affected by leprosy and their family members, adding that 139 outdated discriminatory laws remain in 24 countries, including so-called developed countries.

Today, when respect for human rights is a must, “this is clearly a serious human rights issue which must not be left unresolved. We must take immediate action,” I said.

(To be continued)