New Executive Director for Leprosy Mission NZ

A New Executive Director Announced by The Leprosy Mission New Zealand
 

The Board of The Leprosy Mission New Zealand Incorporated has appointed Brent Morgan, Director of International Programmes at World Vision New Zealand, as the new Executive Director for The Leprosy Mission New Zealand, effective from 1 July 2009 following the retirement on 30 June 2009 of David Hall, after more than 16 years in the position.

Brent Morgan is a resident of Whangaparaoa, Auckland and is married to Tracy. They have three teenage children. Brent brings to The Leprosy Mission New Zealand a background in the public healthcare sector and in the pharmaceutical industry. He has worked in the private sector in India and with an Indian NGO. He has a strong marketing and general management background as well as the experience gained from his involvement with World Vision programmes.

The Leprosy Mission New Zealand started in New Zealand in June 1912; in 2012 the organisation will celebrate 100 years working with New Zealanders to help those affected by leprosy around the world.

The Leprosy Mission New Zealand (TLMNZ) is an autonomous national Christian development organisation, affiliated to The Leprosy Mission International.  TLMNZ’s strategic focus is a renewed commitment to eradicate the causes and consequences of leprosy. 

A new Strategic Plan[1] (2009-2012), “The Right to a Life of Dignity”, is a call for collective action to take sides with people experiencing leprosy, disability and social exclusion; to support their ideas, aspirations and actions; and to enable them to claim their rights. TLMNZ works strategically within a human rights framework and is involved in programmes and projects with partners in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. 

The Strategic Plan also defines our organisational Mandate and Values which are imperative to the way we operate, and to the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of our work.  The Leprosy Mission New Zealand focuses on working mainly with organisations of people affected by leprosy in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea and China.

People affected by leprosy have been stigmatised and unjustly treated for centuries. The Leprosy Mission New Zealand strives to involve people affected by leprosy, people with disability and people who are socially excluded, in a participatory way. Working with people affected by leprosy, recognising the importance of reducing the stigma associated with the disease, and raising awareness, are as important as diagnosis and treatment.

As an organisation The Leprosy Mission New Zealand strongly believes that people affected by leprosy, people who are disabled and people who are excluded by society have a right to a life of dignity.

Since David Hall joined the organisation in 1993 he has seen many changes. Following the introduction in 1982 of a multi-drug therapy that could effectively treat leprosy, The Leprosy Mission focused on ensuring that the maximum number of people with the disease could benefit from the treatment. As time passed and the number of people diagnosed with leprosy failed to reduce despite the availability of such an effective treatment, it became apparent that stigma, lack of human rights and other social issues had to be addressed if the world was to be freed from this disease.

As his retirement approaches, David says that the times he has been able to walk with people affected by leprosy, sharing some of their pain and frustration – and their joy – have been a rare privilege.

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