Jan van Berkel

“When I was a student about forty years ago, the number of people affected by leprosy was so much bigger than it is today.

Not many conditions amplify the consequences of poverty as visibly and draw them out as much as leprosy does

Driven by the zeitgeist and my desire to make a difference for people in poor countries, I decided to study Development Economics. My internship took me to Indonesia, where I conducted research amongst smallholder farmers. For the first time in my life, I faced the overwhelming impact of poverty and disease, the loss, the hurt, and the consequences it has for entire families.

Not many conditions amplify these consequences as visibly and draw them out as much as leprosy does. What agony there is in being avoided by your community because of your disability. Or, to get passed on the other side of the road even after you’ve been declared healed. People affected by leprosy lose their humanity. This stirs me up.

That’s why my colleagues and I commit ourselves to the identification and treatment of leprosy patients, the prevention of handicaps, and the promotion of participation and inclusion in society for people with the experience of disability.

Our ambition is to eradicate leprosy once and for all

Our ambition is to eradicate leprosy once and for all. It goes without saying that we can only do our work thanks to the generous support of countless organisations and donors. We are deeply grateful to them – because together we are getting closer to a world free of leprosy every day.”