July 2018
Welcome to the inaugural newsletter for the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy. Each month, we will share our progress, next steps, and profiles of the people involved in the work. We hope this information is beneficial. To learn more about the partnership, please visit our website.
Working Groups Progress
The Research Agenda Working Group will develop an aligned, prioritized research agenda to support advocacy for additional investment. Its sub-groups will develop research priorities in seven key areas . The sub-groups will assess current research that is currently in progress and prioritize the new research needed to reach the goal of zero leprosy. Facilitators for the sub-groups will be named soon.

Do you have an interest in a particular research area? An open call for members of the sub-groups will be announced in early August. Stay tuned!


The Operational Excellence Working Group's purpose is to facilitate the uptake, monitoring and evaluation of best practices and promising innovations in national leprosy control programmes.

Bart Vander Plaetse, head of the programme unit at FAIRMED, has recently been named chair. A coordinator will be hired soon, and a coordinating committee will develop a timeline and scope for the group. Updates will be available in the next newsletter.
Lessons from Bihar, India
Courtenay Dusenbury, Secretariat Director, recently traveled to Bihar, India. In this article, she shares her observations of how the region is making progress despite challenging circumstances. The expertise of local partners, such as the professional staff in Bihar, will be major contributors to the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy’s work.

Q&A: Meet Bill Simmons, Leadership Team Chair
Bill Simmons’ life journey prepared him well for the work of the American Leprosy Missions and the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy. In this interview, Bill shares his early life experiences, his approach to leadership, and what’s essential for the partnership now.

Join the Partnership!
Membership is open to all who are committed to zero leprosy and the partnership principles. The online application form is short, easy to use and available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Learn more and apply.
Articles and Resources
WHO's Global Leprosy Programme's Executive Summary for the upcoming Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of leprosy.


Global Partnership for Zero Leproy | www.zeroleprosy.org