Face To Face

Season 4, Episode 7: Yasuji Hirasawa: The Unheard Voices of Leprosy

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Hansen's disease or leprosy has been treated effectively since the 1950's in most countries. It's not even that contagious. But in Japan, people affected by the disease were forcefully isolated until 1996. Today, most elderly patients, even though cured, remain cut off from their families, destined to live out their lives in sanatoriums. Prejudice and discrimination still prevail. Former patient Yasuji Hirasawa talks about his efforts to preserve this dark history and raise social awareness.