May 29, 2017
The International Council of Nurses (ICN) presented its Health and Human Rights Award to Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, at the 2017 ICN Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on May 27. The award was presented in recognition of Sasakawa’s contribution to the fight against leprosy and leprosy-related discrimination, and his achievements in the field of health and human rights.
As WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination since 2001 and Japanese Government Goodwill Ambassador for the Human Rights of Persons Affected by Leprosy since 2007, Sasakawa has been actively working to eliminate leprosy as a public health problem and end leprosy-related discrimination. At his urging, the UN General Assembly in December 2010 unanimously approved a resolution for the “elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members” and associated “principles and guidelines.”
In addition to his work toward the elimination of leprosy, Sasakawa’s humanitarian activities encompass a wide range of areas including enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities, support for disaster relief and recovery, and support for ethnic groups in Myanmar.
Source: Fight against leprosy: Efforts honoured with ICN award. Business Standard (India), 28 May 2017