The following interview originally appeared in The Indian Express. The Indian Express holds all rights to this article, and may be reached via the link at the bottom of this page.

Midweek Dialogue--Yohei Sasakawa

We have traveled miles ahead since the mid-1980s, when the Multi-drug therapy was introduced. It would not be an exaggeration to say that around 14 million people were cured of the disease after the introduction of MDT. Eleven million of them were from India. We take India as a very progressive nation with a positive attitude towards its problems. I have visited India 15 times and thrice came to UP and have witnessed tremendous acceptance for those who are now completely cured and leading a health social life. It is a positive sign. We are in the last phase of our leprosy eradication programme and would like to aim at less than one case of leprosy in a population of 10,000. This is a giant task, but can easily be attended.

One thing should be very clear to all of us that it is an easily curable disease. Those who have caught the disease belong to us. The general public is supposed to be aware of the fact that free treatment is available at all levels all over the world including India. The foremost message is that no discrimination should be shown to those suffering from teh disease and those who have been cured should be allowed to lead a normal life. They are equal citizens of the world and enjoy equal rights ensured under a system of governance.

I want to emphasise upon the fact that in August this year, a landmark UN resolution in Geneva has advocated ensuring freedom of normal social life for those cured or suffering from the disease. It would be a human rights violation to deprive them of this opportunity.

Our core concentration is public health, medicine and social welfare. Since its inception in 1974, it has been a driving force in the global quest to vanquish leprosy. In 1987, the foundation had launched the Sasakawa Medical Scholarship Programme to promote those working in the field. We also helped victims of 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

This is my 30th year in the leprosy eradication programme and my fifth visit to India in 2005. We are encouraged by the results here. Indian media by virtue of being more aware than other country's media has played a very constructive role in creating awareness about the myths regarding leprosy. Now, people here know that it is like any other disease and can be cured by the use of medicine from six months to one year.

I graduated in political science and economics from Meiji University in 1960 an devoted myself to business for about 20 years. Later, I realized I had something else to do and decided to support my father in the Foundation. We broadened its areas from only a medical help facility for people afflicted by leprosy to the alleviation of the stigma attached to the disease. We provided medicines to the patients free of cost and found that our mission was a huge success. But I must say that we have succeeded only because of the cooperation of various organizations around the world and programme implementation agencies.