A/HRC/10/62 page 17 of America and Zambia. Several of the publications discussed stigma and discrimination, including de facto discrimination, highlighting the obstacles in enforcing laws and challenging discriminatory practices even after laws and policies have been reformed. 34. The International Leprosy Union from India submitted a report on laws and leprosy covering the period 2006-2007, summarizing various meetings convened in different parts of India in order to review existing legislation and to make recommendations to Government institutions. The report concluded that existing discriminatory legislation must be modified in order to ensure that the leprosy-affected are not denied their human rights. In some cases, amendments were proposed, while in others the Government was requested to clarify the nature of the disease and to remove references to leprosy as an incurable disease. 35. In its submission, the Nippon Foundation referred to various individual cases and testimonies in which people affected by leprosy or their family members had been discriminated against in cases of marriage, health services, employment, education, social life, public places and religious rituals, in Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, United Republic of Tanzania, the United States of America, and Zambia. The Foundation also referred to requests made by persons affected by leprosy to continue to reside in a leprosy settlement and not to be forcibly relocated. Other issues noted were the self-stigmatization of people affected by leprosy, which prevented them from realizing their human rights and caused loss of family ties, which might even lead to suicide, isolation and depression, the need to educate health staff and the need to provide support for physical rehabilitation. 36. The PerMaTa organization of People Affected by Leprosy of Indonesia reported that discrimination had been experienced in relation to medical treatment, applying for work positions and in access to hotel facilities. Some teachers had lost their jobs owing to leprosy-related discrimination. 37. In its contribution, the Royal Tropical Institute of the Netherlands referred to the persistence of stigma and fear of discrimination, despite evidence that it had decreased in many leprosy-endemic areas of the world in the past two decades. While there were some good local health education campaigns on the curability of leprosy, these initiatives had rarely addressed local beliefs, fears and practices. Attention was drawn to the fact that there had been little development by Governments and organizations of a specific rights-based approach to addressing stigma and to empowering people affected by this disease.