Greetings from Mr. Yohei Sasakawa President The Nippon Foundation
Your Excellency
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great honor as well as a pleasure for me to attend this important International Leprosy Congress, and given an opportunity to make a short speech at its opening ceremony.
It was in October 1985 that I went to Guangzhou, together with my late father, Ryoichi Sasakawa, to attend the first international meeting on leprosy in China. It was by a kind invitation of the late Dr. Ma Haide, then the Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Health, and a de facto person in charge of leprosy program of this country.
Dr. Ma Haide told my father that meeting in Guangzhou was the first test-run of an international leprosy meeting in China, because the Ministry wishes to host an International Leprosy Congress, perhaps in 1998.
Both Dr. Ma and my father had passed away, but I am sure that they would have
enjoyed if they could be here this morning. Therefore I was really happy to receive a kind invitation from Prof. Yin Dakui, as the Chairman of the Chinese Organizing Committee of this Congress.
I understand that the global leprosy elimination program has been going well, with strong commitment of health authorities and workers of leprosy endemic countries. I acknowledge the able leadership and technical guidance from the Leprosy Unit of WHO, and enthusiastic support from the international and national non-governmental organizations.
I am particularly happy, and even proud, to realize that The Nippon Foundation and Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, both created by my father, latter specially to contribute toward the global leprosy work, are accepted as partners in these worldwide movements.
If I understand correctly, this Congress is to look to the future after the successful completion of Elimination program, and to see how the remaining problems in leprosy, specially its social aspects, can be dealt with so that future generation can enjoy to live in a World Without Leprosy.
I was told that China, the host of this Congress, has reached the Elimination Target long time ago, but still taking leprosy seriously to the extent of inviting this meeting to Beijing today.
