KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 29

The World Health Organisation's Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, Yohei Sasakawa, met with the President Ram Chandra Paudel to share his thoughts on the leprosy elimination campaign.

"Sasakawa returned to Japan after paying a courtesy call on President Paudel," Santa Bir Lama, former President at Nepal Mountaineering Association said.

During the meeting with the President at the latter's office, Sasakawa, re-emphasized that deep-rooted social stigma surrounding leprosy must be addressed to eradicate the world's oldest and most feared disease.

On the occasion, President Paudel praised Sasakawa's effort in making the leprosy elimination programs effective in Nepal and across the world. In Nepal, over 2,500 new cases were reported in 2023, making it one of 23 countries on the WHO's priority list for leprosy elimination. "

Sasakawa, 85, also visited the Madhesh Province to understand the ground reality as the most leprosy cases are found in the Tarai region bordering India.

Sasakawa, who is also the Chairperson of the Nippon Foundation, highlighted that the close cooperation between the Health Ministry and leprosy NGOs maximized their respective strengths, complementing each other's efforts and helping to advance leprosy measures across the country.

During his stay in Nepal, Sasakawa met with the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, the Minister of Health and Population, and other high-level government and civil society leaders.