A Japanese reporter, Hanae, aged 22, traveled to communities of those affected by leprosy. “I know almost nothing about leprosy” were her initial words. Unequipped with knowledge, she continually experienced surprise, bewilderment and worry while in the field. She continued her coverage repeatedly for two and a half years since 2014, coming face to face with persons affected by leprosy with a sincere attitude. We turned our camera on the people she met and their determination to live the best they can.

When reading the Old Testament, one finds references to leprosy in which people are called "lepers" or “unclean” (Levi 13: 45~46). They were not treated as “human beings” and were unconditionally discriminated against throughout the ages and in all countries. In order never to repeat this tragic history, a group of persons affected by leprosy visited the Vatican City, the headquarter of the Roman Catholic Church, to appeal in person for the elimination of discrimination.

Brazil is the only country in the world where leprosy has yet to be eliminated. In 2015, registered cases numbered 20,702, indicating that Brazil was nearing the goal. But a large problem stood in the way — “hidden” patients who were not reflected in this number. What is the real situation in the last country that has yet to achieve elimination? We turned our camera on the frontline efforts there.

The people affected by leprosy in India have lost all that they had ever possessed. They live quietly together in the forgotten corners of society. Having lost family, a hometown, education and employment, they are left only with a life of begging. Mr. Yohei Sasakawa and The Nippon Foundation are working to create a world where they would no longer have to beg. With the help of Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation (SILF), one of their activities is to help them move from a “begging life” to a “working life.” We turned our camera on those people affected by leprosy who have taken a new step forward.

The scorching sun of India mercilessly beat down on these people on trolleys. Sitting in a way to make their wounds more noticeable, they hold out their hands to passersby. People affected by leprosy in India have no other way to survive but to beg. What are the thoughts that reside in their minds as the days pass by? We turned our camera on their challenging reality during three days of up-close coverage.

ENAPAL is an organization in Ethiopia of people who have recovered from leprosy. ENAPAL’s primary focus is employment support through microcredits. An increasing number of people who have recovered from leprosy now work and are becoming re-integrated into society. Many, however, still continue to live in poverty without the opportunity to work. We turned our camera on their struggle to return to society.

With policies that are very thorough by international standards, Morocco has succeeded in dramatically reducing the number of patients. However, patients and those who have recovered remain isolated, segregated from family and community. Prejudice and discrimination against leprosy still exist. We turned our camera on the complexity of their situation.

Portugal and Spain hardly see new cases of leprosy today. The people affected by leprosy are aging and the number of survivors continues to decline as the years go by. Leprosaria in these countries are beginning to fulfill different roles as memories of leprosy fades away. We turned our camera on the leprosarium in Portugal and in Spain.

Mr. Yohei Sasakawa who has visited leprosy hospitals and leprosaria in about 70 countries over the past 50 years has “another special field” to visit every year. That is Geneva, the hub of many international organizations. We turned our camera on Mr. Sasakawa, whose efforts are devoted to solving issues surrounding leprosy, in Geneva, a city of world diplomacy where health ministers of the world and WHO partners gather together.

1718 people affected by leprosy reside at 13 national leprosaria in Japan as of 2014. Their average age is 83.9. As the number of residents declines year by year, the history of this tragedy is fading from public memory. “Global Appeal 2015,” held in Japan, aimed to correct the prevailing understanding of leprosy. Through the camera lens, we searched for the meaning of “THINK LEPROSY NOW”.

Romania has not had a single case of leprosy for the past twenty years. Leprosy is considered a disease of the past, and many people do not even know what it is. However, contrary to reality, there are still people affected by leprosy. They have suffered long years of discrimination, living in dark and gloomy shadows. We turned our camera on the only facility for leprosy-affected people in Romania, the Tichilesti leprosarium.

India has the highest incidence of leprosy in the world. Every year, 130,000 new cases are reported, and those cured now total 12 million. The majority of them are excluded from society. Supporting each other, they live in leprosy villages, known as colonies. What are their thoughts and feelings as they live in seclusion? We took our camera to the largest colony in India, near Delhi.

“Elimination” of leprosy is defined by the World Health Organization as less than 1 case per 10,000 population. Most countries have achieved elimination with the exception of Brazil. We took our camera there to show the plight of people affected by leprosy—people who have been abandoned in the shadows of development—to find the answer to the problems in Brazil.

Nepal is a country where approximately 80% of land is covered by mountain ranges such as the Himalayas. In areas with poor access to medical services and transportation, the prevalence of leprosy tends to be high. High concentration of patients is also seen along the Indian border. This footage captures the plight of the people affected by leprosy who live in dust-covered remote areas.

Indonesia is the world’s largest island nation with 17,000 islands. In many of the islands, doctors and nurses are in absolute scarcity and the work of finding patients and treating them is lagging behind. There are also many people affected by leprosy—both those under treatment and those who have been cured—who are suffering from discrimination. This documentary focuses on the Island of Papua, which is known to have a particularly large number of patients.