Respected representatives from ministries of health, distinguished experts, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
Warm greetings and welcome to this meeting, which even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will enable us to advance progress on several key policy frameworks, including the Global NTD Roadmap, the Global Leprosy Strategy 2021–2030, and the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
For participants in the WHO South-East Asia Region, it will also help accelerate progress on two of the Region’s eight Flagship Priorities: First, eliminating neglected tropical diseases and other diseases on the verge of elimination; and second, strengthening national capacity to prevent and combat AMR.
The Global Leprosy Programme has in recent years made tremendous progress, driven by the hard work and steely resolve of leprosy-affected countries from across the world.
In 2019 more than 200 000 cases of leprosy were detected, which is around 30 000 fewer than 11 years ago.
Less than 5% of cases had grade-2 disability (G2D) at the time of diagnosis, equating to a G2D rate of 1.4 per million population – a 40% reduction on the 2014 figure.
Globally, the new case detection rate for those aged 0 to 14 years was 7.9 per million children, marking a significant improvement on the 2014 rate of 10.1.
The world is no longer focused only on eliminating leprosy as a public health problem, but rather on eliminating it altogether – a paradigm shift highlighted in the new Global Leprosy Strategy.
Achieving zero leprosy will not be easy, but it is possible, and requires us to overcome existing barriers and to anticipate emerging challenges.
One such challenge is AMR.
Recent data submitted to WHO indicates sub-optimal cure rates in more than 50 countries. Relapses were reported from 62 countries.
Twenty countries are part of a global sentinel surveillance network to monitor AMR against leprosy drugs, while several others have expressed their ambition to implement similar systems.
In 2019, 446 leprosy patients globally were tested for AMR, and mono-resistance was detected in 15. Three patients showed resistance to more than one drug.
At present, resistance to leprosy drugs appears to be relatively low; however, we must not take that for granted, and must vigorously guard against amplification.
As the Global Leprosy Strategy highlights, we must continue to assess drug-susceptibility patterns globally and continue to monitor resistance among both new and retreatment cases.
We must gain a complete and accurate picture of the situation, for which key WHO guidance on surveillance of AMR in leprosy must be fully implemented.
Today, I have three messages, applicable to all stakeholders, whatever a country’s current surveillance status.
First, action is everything. Policy frameworks themselves will not drive results unless they are programmatically implemented.
I welcome the development of actional templates at this meeting, with the aim of providing a clear end-to-end process for surveillance activities and laboratory processes in sentinel centres and reference laboratories. I look forward to the progress they will achieve.
Second, integration is vital. AMR is a significant threat to health and development globally, and most countries are taking multisectoral action.
To achieve our targets and goals in both areas of work, leprosy stakeholders must take advantage of and feed into this momentum, not only at the global level, but also at national and sub-national levels.
Third, partnerships are key. Ample expertise is available in research laboratories across the world, as well as in facilities managed by nongovernmental organizations. But unless we tap into it, and strengthen existing collaborations, we will not realize its potential.
It is only by working together, and harnessing all resources at our disposal, that we can achieve the ambitious vision of the Global NTD Roadmap and Global Leprosy Strategy, and contribute towards the full implementation of the Global Action Plan on AMR.
I wish you productive and engaging deliberations, urge you to continue to maintain leprosy programmes amid the COVID-19 response, and look forward to our onward journey together, towards zero leprosy infection and disease, zero disability, and zero leprosy-related stigma and discrimination.
Thank you.