| Dear All,
World Leprosy Day this Sunday, 28th January coincides with the celebration of Lepra's 100th anniversary. We hope that you will join us in raising awareness of this neglected cause, as we reflect on, and celebrate our contrubutions over the last century.
One thing that I am immensely proud of about Lepra is our focus on the needs of the individual. It is one of our strongest values. Leprosy and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are not just about numbers, cases and statistics, of course: they are mainly about people. Every person affected by leprosy or LF has unique needs for care and support. Every person has unique pathways to full inclusion in society.
And as we rightly celebrate this moment in time, we are also acutely aware of how much more needs to be done for people affected by leprosy and LF. Leprosy still exists. LF still exists. Whilst the world has set targets to eliminate them both in the coming years, we know that global elimination is something that is beyond our direct control.
2024 is also a time for us to take stock of where we are going as well as where we have come from. We are looking ahead to what more we can do as an organisation to accelerate progress and support for people who are affected by leprosy and LF.
So in the year we celebrate a centenary, we are also launching a strategy; one that charts our priorities and directions for the next six years. Our strategy is ambitious: We have more to offer. We know that we still have our work cut out for us. It is time for increased action, for us to do all we can to build on the achievements of the past and strive further to realise our vision of a world free from disability and prejudice due to leprosy and LF.
And as we celebrate our 100-year anniversary, we know that we would be doing something wrong if Lepra was still around for anything like 100 more. We look ahead with clarity of purpose, working towards a world where we are needed no more.
On World Leprosy Day, we will formally launch our centenary website - a digital exhibition showcasing 100 years of research and innovation and celebrating the contributions of our amazing supporters throughout the decades. You can also find out more about our past and our hopes for the future in our centenary brochure.
This Sunday, you can help us 'Shine a Light on Leprosy' by sharing our social media profile or Youtube video to your friends and family.
Thank you
Jimmy Innes
Chief Executive
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