On January 29 in Manila, The Philippines, in conjunction with World Leprosy Day (January 28), the representatives of people affected by leprosy from around the world
will call for an end to the stigma and discrimination against people affected by the disease. They state that "denying the inherent human rights of anyone on the basis of disease is indefensible. Discrimination can never be justified". The appeal ceremony is co-hosted by The Nippon Foundation and The Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, in cooperation with Ateneo de Manila University, the Department of Health of the Philippines, WHO, and leprosy NGOs.

Leprosy, among the world's oldest recorded diseases, still exists in many countries. But while less than 300,000 people develop leprosy each year, an estimated 100 million must deal with cruel discrimination because of their association with the disease, many spending their lives completely isolated from society.

In India, which accounts for 70 percent of the world's leprosy cases, there are over 700 leprosy colonies which help to perpetuate the myth, the stigma and the discrimination.

Global Appeal 2007 follows last year's appeal by world leaders, such as former US President Jimmy Carter and the Dalai Lama.

The Text of the Global Appeal can be found on the next page.