Mr. S Jaishankar, Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs released the book written by WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy, Mr. Yohei Sasakawa

·         The book, “No Matter Where the Journey Takes Me”: One man’s quest for a Leprosy- Free World talks about his journey and a detailed overview of the modern history of the fight against Leprosy

Mumbai/ New Delhi, 3^rdFebruary, 2020:The book “No Matter Where the Journey Takes Me: One man’s quest for a Leprosy-free World written by Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for leprosy was recently released by Shri S. Jaishankar, Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs. This book is about Mr. Sasakawa’s journey as the global ambassador for Leprosy. Present on the occasion were Mr. NK Singh, Fifteenth Finance Commissioner of India and Mr. Tarun Das, Chairperson, Sasakawa- India Leprosy Foundation.

In his book Mr. Sasakawa describes how his father’s compassion for those with leprosy began when he was a young man and had feelings for a beautiful girl living in the village where he was born. Then, one day, this girl vanished and he later understood that her disappearance was because she had developed leprosy and had been sent into isolation to join others who had the same condition. This led to a lifelong commitment to eliminate leprosy- a dream that Mr. Yohei Sasakawa made his own.

On the occasion, Mr. Jaishankar said, “I am deeply thankful to Mr Sasakawa for allowing me an opportunity to be a part of this launch on such a special day. The challenge of leprosy is deeply related with Mahatma Gandhi’s life. This book is an expression of his journey and how he has helped many across the globe. His journey makes you pause and think about the challenges of the people affected with leprosy and urge you to come together to make life easy for these people by various actions including, and very importantly, stop discriminating. Leprosy is a global challenge and Mr Sasakawa has committed himself to eradicating it. He is a true inspiration and we as a country, value his contributions immensely."

Present at the occasion, Mr. Tarun Das commented, “I feel honoured to be present at the launch of the book written by Mr. Yohei Sasakawa. I have worked closely with Mr. Sasakawa and applaud his commitment towards the cause. The book is an insight into his journey and will resonate very well with not just people affected by leprosy, but also their families. The book will also motivate people to join the cause and help to eradicate the stigma against leprosy.

On the occasion, Mr. Yohei Sasakawa said, “I am happy that my book is being released in India. This book covers my journey against stigma towards persons affected by leprosy and their families. Education and awareness around leprosy is very limited, resulting in persistence of myths against the disease. India is currently running one of the world's largest programs for the eradication of leprosy, the NLEP.

Reviews:

‘East Timor achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in 2010. We owe much to Mr Yohei Sasakawa, who visited the country repeatedly to encourage our health services to focus on the disease and convince us it was possible. He is an extraordinary person in the way that he has devoted himself to this humanitarian cause. This book gives you a real idea of who he is and what motivates him. I admire his commitment and dedication to improving the situation of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.’ — José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1996, and former President of East Timor

‘Sasakawa’s book No Matter Where the Journey Takes Me is a moving account of efforts over almost 60 years to fight both disease and discrimination. Despite significant work, an estimated 3 million people around the world are living with disability from leprosy. The book is a rallying cry for a world free of this disease.’ — Ann Aerts, Nature

About Yohei Sasakawa:

Mr Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, Japan is the architect of The Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation (SILF). Mr. Sasakawa, has devoted the better part of his professional life fighting the scourge of leprosy not only in Japan but all over the world. His foundation has worked with the World Health Organisation and with national governments in developing the cure for leprosy and ensuring the free availability of drugs to the remotest corners of the world. His efforts have yielded remarkable results globally as more and more countries are now reaching elimination levels, paving the way for eventual eradication of this centuries old disease from the face of the earth.