“Leprosy is hidden beneath multiple layers of systemic exclusion, structural discrimination, and institutional neglect,” said UN Special Rapporteur on discrimination against persons with leprosy, Alice Cruz, following an eight-day visit to Bangladesh. Currently, people from 120 countries are affected by leprosy, known as Hansen’s disease, with more than 200,000 new...
Alice Cruz, who advocates for people diagnosed with the age-old disease, delivered her latest report to the UN General Assembly in New York. She cited the physical impairments that leprosy causes, as well as discrimination based on harmful stereotypes surrounding the disease, as grounds for their full recognition in accordance...