Prime Minister’s Slip Offends 30 Million, Leprosy Mission Asks for Apology

Sunday, 8th July, 2007

The Leprosy Mission New Zealand is reeling over Prime Minister Helen Clark’s recent, insensitive use of the word ‘leper’in her comments as reported by TV One on Sunday, which is likely to offend over 30 million people who are affected by leprosy worldwide.

The Prime Minister was reported by Guyon Espiner of TV One News as saying that the self-appointed Prime Minister of Fiji, Frank Bainimarama, will be “treated something like a leper” if he attends the South Pacific Forum meetings.

“This is shockingly inappropriate –indicating that Bainimarama will be “treated like a leper” is degrading and insulting to the millions of people, who through no fault of their own, have or have had leprosy,” David Hall has said in a statement.

“Stigma such as this not only makes it more difficult for people to come forward for treatment, it often leads to human rights abuses. People affected by leprosy should be treated the same as everyone else – they are no different. We would not describe someone who has had measles as ‘a measle’ so why should people affected by leprosy be described as ‘lepers’? “

“Prime Minister Clark is promoting stigma and discrimination by using the word ‘leper’ when she means that Bainimarama will be ostracised by the South Pacific leaders.”

New Zealand is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states in article 7: “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”

“We demand an apology to those 30 million people who have been affected by leprosy and that she never use the word ‘leper’ again. “

ENDS

General Info:

Leprosy is still a disease of our time. At least one person discovers they have leprosy every two minutes. It is a disease of poverty, often found alongside malnutrition and overcrowding. Today leprosy is endemic in Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal and Tanzania. However, more than half of all new cases are found in India. The Leprosy Mission works with affected communities in around 30 countries in Asia and Africa.

When The Leprosy Mission began its work in 1874, there was little that could be done to ease the physical effects of leprosy. Since 1981, 20 million people have been treated with multi-drug therapy, a combination of three antibiotics, and thousands have had their sight and movement restored by surgery. Despite international efforts to eliminate leprosy, the number of new cases found every year remains stable in most countries.

Multi-drug therapy effectively kills the leprosy bacillus but cannot restore lost sensation to damaged nerves in hands and feet. Early detection is vital to prevent disability. If leprosy is not diagnosed and treated early, loss of feeling makes people vulnerable to injury and can ultimately lead to disability. Between two and four million people have been left with visible deformities, which puts them at risk of isolation and deeper poverty. Much of The Leprosy Mission’s work focuses on preventing disability and helping those already affected to lead normal lives.

The Leprosy Mission is renowned for its hospitals and specialist referral services, but people with leprosy need more than just medicine. Leprosy is a human rights issue and The Leprosy Mission’s work goes beyond curing a disease. Our programmes address leprosy’s underlying causes, like poverty, by advocating for affected people’s rights, ensuring that children remain in education, and providing vocational training and socio-economic rehabilitation.

Often people are reluctant to seek medical care for fear that others will find out, and many leprosy patients are still rejected by their families and communities. Along with disability and poverty, stigma is one of leprosy’s worst consequences. The Leprosy Mission uses tools like self-help groups and education to enable people with leprosy to reintegrate, gain skills to earn a living and rediscover their self-esteem.

www.leprosymission.org.nz

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