Search results for ""Author Yohei Sasakawa""

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Left untreated, it can cause progressive and permanent disability. But a diagnosis of leprosy can have consequences that go far beyond the disease's physical manifestations. The age-old stigma associated with leprosy can result in severe social discrimination that robs people of opportunities in life and condemns them to society's margins. This book is the most detailed account yet of Yohei Sasakawa's quest, over two decades as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination, to work for a world without leprosy and the discrimination it causes. It chronicles his travels to remote communities around the world to hear directly from those affected by the disease, as well as his meetings with policy- makers, government leaders and heads of state to advocate for renewed commitment to the fight against leprosy, including measures to protect the human rights of those it affects. While much progress has been made, completing 'the last mile' in leprosy eradication is the hardest part of the journey. Making the Impossible Possible highlights the author's unflagging resolve to ensure that all involved stay the course.

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Leprosy has tormented mankind since records began. For much of its long history it was without cure—a disfiguring disease that stigmatised those it affected, isolating them from society. Today there is an effective treatment, but the last mile to achieve a leprosy-free world is the hardest. Now approaching eighty years old, one Japanese philanthropic activist has played a key role in global efforts against leprosy, both as head of a private foundation and as the World Health Organization's 'Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination'. In this book, he lays out his personal mission and philosophy, and explains how his father, the politician and philanthropist Ryoichi Sasakawa, influenced his decision to make leprosy elimination his life's work. Yohei Sasakawa has visited more than 100 countries, motivating political leaders, raising awareness via the media, encouraging frontline health workers, and helping to empower persons affected by leprosy and their families to speak out for their rights. His book is a validation of the path taken by a father and son to change the course of leprosy history, and to transform the circumstances of those affected by the disease for the better.

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