Hiroshi Yoshikawa

Japanese epidemiologist who created the world's first leprosy elimination model

Dr. Hiroshi Yoshikawa (1907-1983) transformed global approaches to Hansen's disease (leprosy) through his work at Japan's National Hansen's Disease Sanatoriums. His 1940 Community-Based Rehabilitation System reduced Japan's leprosy rate from 22/10,000 to 0.04/10,000 by 1970.

Yoshikawa's revolutionary "Three Pillars Approach" combined multidrug therapy, stigma reduction, and patient self-governance. The WHO adopted his model in 1982, contributing to 16M+ cures worldwide. His 1961 memoir Beyond the Walls inspired Japan's 1996 Leprosy Prevention Law abolition.

The International Leprosy Museum credits Yoshikawa with developing the first prosthetic limbs sensitive enough for nerve-damaged hands. His bamboo-based orthotics are still used in Myanmar and Bangladesh.