KATHMANDU, JUNE 20

The Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen's Disease) Initiative and the University of Bergen are organizing a two-day conference in Bergen, Norway, on June 21-22, 2023, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the discovery of M. leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, in 1873. The conference, which will be held in the city where Norwegian Dr. Gerhard Armauer Hansen made his groundbreaking finding, will also be streamed online.

When Hansen discovered the bacillus-the first time a pathogen had been identified as the cause of disease in humans-leprosy was endemic in Norway and present throughout much of Europe, but today transmission of the disease has ended in most parts of the continent. However, around 200,000 new cases are still reported worldwide each year, while deep-rooted misconceptions about leprosy persist, contributing to continued stigma and discrimination, and acting as a barrier to case detection by discouraging those who suspect they have the disease from seeking treatment, according to the statement issued by Sasakawa Health Foundation.

Many countries and international organizations, led by the World Health Organization, now aim to achieve zero leprosy-zero disease, zero disability and zero discrimination-. Achieving this goal will require close collaboration between partners, which the Bergen meeting aims to foster.

The Bergen International Conference on Hansen's Disease: 150 Years Since the Discovery of the Leprosy Bacillus brings together key stakeholders in the leprosy field for sessions focused on medical challenges, human rights and dignity, and history preservation-the three pillars on which the Sasakawa Leprosy (Hansen's Disease) Initiative structures its activities against the disease.

Special dignitaries scheduled to deliver messages at the event include Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO (video), Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (video) and Ingvild Kjerkol, Minister of Health and Care Services, Norway.

Keynote speakers include Professor Paul Fine of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Dr. Alice Cruz, the UN Special Rapporteur on elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members.

Following the opening ceremony, a statement will be read out on behalf of the organizers, expressing their hope to draw on the knowledge, experience and wisdom of the delegates gathered at the place where M.leprae was first observed 150 years ago, and to build momentum to complete 'the last mile in the fight against leprosy'.

The conference will include a poster exhibition consisting of an academic poster session (https://hansen2023.org/academic-poster-session/) and a session on best practices shared by organizations of persons affected by Hansen's disease.

It will also feature a Stradivarius mini concert in cooperation with the Nippon Music Foundation. The music foundation is a sister foundation of The Nippon Foundation, whose chairman, Yohei Sasakawa, also serves as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.