At the Fourth Global Appeal to End Stigma and Discrimination Against People Affected by Leprosy held in London on Monday 26^th January 2009, Mr Yohei Sasakawa called for people to stop using the word “leper”.

Mr Sasakawa, who is the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for the Elimination of Leprosy and the Japanese Government Goodwill Ambassador for the Human Rights of People Affected by Leprosy, explained that people affected by this disease have asked that “leper”, or the “L word” as they frequently refer to it, no longer be used. He noted its continued and pervasive use in the media today.

“Leper” is a potent term, laden with negative connotations. Its figurative meaning of an “outcast” or “pariah” derives from the habit of segregating people affected by leprosy from their families and communities, often on remote islands, in the past. Then little was known about this disease. Research has since revealed much. For example, that leprosy is not hereditary and that it is one of the least infectious diseases. Multidrug therapy has proved extremely effective in curing people with leprosy and today individuals who have leprosy are being treated by the general health services of their countries and are no longer isolated from the population.    

ILEP wholeheartedly endorses the call to stop making use of the word “leper”. It is extremely discrediting to people who have leprosy as it perpetuates the idea of being rejected by society, at a time when ever greater inclusion is being achieved. It also indicates a lack of respect for their dignity as individuals. ILEP and its partners stress that: 

• “leper” is a word that equates a person with the disease which they happen to have had
• “leper” is more like a label – a category of humans that can be perceived as shaming and separating 
• “leper” implies an erroneous commonality among all people with leprosy
• “leper” as a word depersonalises and devalues
• all individuals, irrespective of whatever condition or disease they may have, are first and foremost human beings

In reality there are thousands of individuals with leprosy today, or who have been recently diagnosed with leprosy, who are facing it courageously and contributing to their families and communities. Let them recover from leprosy without the additional complication or handicap of having to bear the stigma of being called “lepers”.

It is for responsible society to shun established historical terminology in favour of appropriate and positive language that upholds the rights and dignity of all individuals everywhere. A quick Internet search for dictionary definitions of “leper” reveals one that indicates that the term leper is in disfavour (MedicineNet.com). It would be helpful if new issues of dictionaries were to indicate that it is no longer correct to use “leper”.

ILEP and its partners recommend the use of the following types of alternative, non-discriminatory language: 

• a person with leprosy
• an individual diagnosed with leprosy 
• people affected by leprosy

Similarly such terms are now used to refer to other conditions, for example “people with disabilities”, “persons who have schizophrenia” and “individuals who have cerebral palsy”. Much campaigning and advocacy has seen removal of the use of other terms such as “spastics”, the term that was commonly used in connection with people affected by cerebral palsy.

Words matter. Language is one of our main means of communication. By using the correct words we can break the cross-generational and inter-personal transmission of the deprecating attitude that has been carried so long by the word “leper”.

Further Information:

For the Nippon Foundation’s Press Release on this call click on the following link:
http://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/eng/press/20090126GlobalAppeal.html

For the Global Appeal 2009, which coincided with World Leprosy Day 2009 and was attended by religious leaders of different faiths, click on the following link:
http://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/eng/news/20090119.html

For a history of the Global Appeals since 2006, and the full wording of the 2009 Global Appeal, click on the following link:
http://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/eng/leprosy_list/TheGlobalAppeal.html

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: International Collaboration, News and Notes