Sri Lanka launches roadmap to eradicate leprosy by 2035

Marking a major milestone in Sri Lanka’s efforts to eradicate leprosy, the National Leprosy Conference began yesterday morning (November 6) at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

During the event, a national roadmap outlining the strategy to completely eliminate leprosy from Sri Lanka within the next decade was officially launched.

The two-day conference, organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Sasakawa Foundation, was held yesterday (November 6) and continues today (November 7).

Addressing the gathering,  said that although Sri Lanka eliminated leprosy as a public health threat in 1995, the fight against the disease is not yet over. He noted that around 1,500 to 2,000 new cases are still detected each year, and about 10% of these are children under the age of ten.

The Minister said that the present government is carrying out a structured programme to make Sri Lanka a leprosy-free nation by 2035. He explained that this includes early detection of patients, better treatments and hospital facilities, and rehabilitation programmes for those who have developed disabilities. He added that the conference would further strengthen national efforts to stop the spread of leprosy.

Dr. Jayatissa also expressed his gratitude to the World Health Organization and the Sasakawa Foundation for their continued support in the mission to eradicate leprosy from Sri Lanka.

It was revealed that about 40% of newly detected cases are reported from the Western Province, with the highest numbers coming from the Colombo District. Significant numbers of cases are also found in Batticaloa, Gampaha, Kurunegala and Kalutara Districts.

Chairman of the Nippon Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, Yohei Sasakawa, delivered the keynote address. Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, and Director of the Leprosy Eradication Campaign, Dr. Yasoma Weerasekara, also spoke at the conference.

Mr. Ajith Dissanayake represented all persons affected by leprosy in Sri Lanka and addressed the gathering.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata, WHO Country Office Officer-In-Charge Dr. Momoe Takeuchi, and Dr. Vivek Lal, Team Lead of the WHO Global Leprosy Programme, along with several WHO representatives and senior officials of the Ministry of Health, were also present.