A/HRC/10/62
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“public health significance”, defined as, inter alia, active tuberculosis, infectious syphilis,
gonorrhoea or infectious leprosy. The grounds of inadmissibility for specified health-related
conditions also pertained to aliens in the United States who were applying for adjustment of their
immigration status to that of lawful permanent resident;
(q) In Indonesia, it was reported that, in one case, a hotel refused to accommodate
persons affected by leprosy, even after having received objective information from authorities
and experts participating in a workshop about the disease, its treatable and curable characteristics
and the lack of risk for the hotel staff and other guests.
31. The General Secretariat of the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations, as
well as individual members, submitted detailed information in relation to Human Rights Council
resolution 8/13. In several of these submissions, specific reference was made to the legal
framework offered by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its
limitations. With regard to measures taken by Governments to eliminate discrimination against
persons affected by leprosy and their family members, the General Secretariat submitted a
summary record of the newsletters of the WHO Goodwill Ambassador for the Elimination of
Leprosy, as well as responses from individual members of the Federation in response to a
questionnaire, some of which are summarized below:
(a) In 2008, the Brazilian Ministry of Health published “Leprosy and human rights:
unified health system users rights and moral obligations”, which provides information about the
human rights of persons affected by leprosy and their access to education, cultural activities,
work, transport and social welfare. The National Sanitary Dermatology Division adopted a
decree on 14 May 1976 according to which the term “leprosy” was to be replaced by the term
“Hansen’s disease”;
(b) It was reported that, in China, legislative change was needed to remove obstacles for
immigration procedures of persons affected by leprosy (in force since 1989), as well as broader
protection for persons affected by leprosy without disabilities;
(c) In India, it was reported that the Government had passed the Persons with
Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act of 1995. The
National Policy for Persons with Disabilities included disability caused by leprosy;
(d) In the Republic of Korea, the National Assembly passed a legislative bill for people
affected by leprosy on 20 September 2007. The Government had apologized and offered
compensation for their systematic wrongdoing towards people affected by leprosy. The law,
which was to become operational towards the end of 2008, examined violations of human rights
against persons affected by leprosy and how such violations might be prevented in the future;
(e) It was reported that, in 2004, Nigeria called a meeting of the Joint Association of
Persons with Disabilities, excluding people affected by leprosy. There had, however, been
positive developments since then: the Government had taken various measures, such as passing a
law for social security welfare for persons with disabilities; appointing special advisers for the
Government on disability matters who are themselves persons with disabilities from different
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