My Family, My Life and My Work - The Autobiography of Yo Yuasa, Dreaming of Eliminating Leprosy

Aug 23, 2026

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An autobiography tracing Yo Yuasa’s journey to eliminate leprosy, anchored in formative family experiences, education across Japan and abroad, and a medical career shaped by service. The narrative follows his development through studies, work alongside leprosy missions in Nepal, and later leadership at the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation. Emphasis is placed on turning medical advances into public health action, including the push for MDT adoption as a universal treatment. Foreword and editorial notes frame his influence on global policy, organizations, and lifelong dedication to peace, justice, and care.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages130

Reading Time3 h 20 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Editor’s Preface

The Yuasa Family

Growing Up in Kyoto

High School Days in Tokyo

Studying in the US A

Becoming a Doctor in Europe

With The Leprosy Mission in Nepal

Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation

Eliminating Leprosy as a Public Health Problem

Acknowledgments

Chronology

Index

My Family, My Life and My Work The autobiography of a man who dreamed of eliminating leprosy Yo Yuasa As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. I Peter 4:10. The author in 1950, aged twenty-three My Family, My Life and My Work The autobiography of a man who dreamed of eliminating leprosy Yo Yuasa Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation Table of Contents Foreword 5 Editor’s Preface 8 1 The Yuasa Family 10 2 Growing Up in Kyoto 20 3 High School Days in Tokyo 34 4 Studying in the US A 46 5 Becoming a Doctor in Europe 62 6 With The Leprosy Mission in Nepal 76 7 Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation 88 8 Eliminating Leprosy as a Public Health Problem 104 Map 115 Acknowledgments 116 Chronology 118 Index 120 Foreword Both as a colleague of Dr Yo Yuasa’s at Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation and asa member of the first graduating class of International Christian University (ICU), I have more than a passing interest in the story told in these pages Dr Yuasa’s father, Dr Hachiro Yuasa, was the first president of ICU, and Dr Yuasa himself studied there in the mid-1950s after returning from five years at Amherst College in the US A ICU was a new type of university established after World War II It set out to provide its students with a liberal arts education and foster a commitment to peace and social justice Eleanor Roosevelt, who played an influential role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, gave the first convocation address As students, we felt we were part of a grand project and there was a great sense of unity among us My experience at ICU certainly shaped my life in many positive ways Dr Yo Yuasa was seven years older than me, but he was my contemporary at ICU Tuberculosis had forced him to leave Amherst before he could graduate After some months recuperating in a sanatorium in upstate New York, he had come back to Japan for a lung operation At ICU he was able to earn the credits he needed to graduate from Amherst The president encouraged students to find their life partner while at ICU His son was successful in finding Yuko-san, who was in the second graduating class, but unfortunately I failed (Happy to report, I found my perfect match once I started my career ) I had little contact with Dr Yuasa while at university, and this would remain the case for many years until the establishment ofSasakawa Memorial Health Foundation in 1974 Like ICU, SMHF was a new undertaking with a grand vision, which was to realize the dream of its founders Mr Ryoichi Sasakawa and Professor Morizo Ishidate to eliminate leprosy from the world From the outset, it was guided by the “humanism and science” of Professor Ishidate, the founding chair Our first activity was to hold an international conference for leprosy control in Southeast Asia One of our trustees, Dr Saikawa, suggested inviting Dr Yuasa, who was then working at a leprosy hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal As we had been advised to look for a medical director by Professor Ishidate and Dr Shigeaki Hinohara, another of our trustees, I asked Dr Yuasa if he would be willing to assume this role Fortunately for us, after consulting with many people, he agreed As medical and later executive director, Dr Yuasa was a key member of SMHF for more than thirty years He became a world leader in the fight against leprosy, not only through his work with our foundation but also in his position as president of the International Leprosy Association for two terms, and through his contributions to various WHO and other expert committees He took advantage of the window of opportunity provided by the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) in the 1980s to push for leprosy tobe placed on the global public health agenda, firmly believing that treatment should be available through the general health services in order that every last patient could be reached “MDT fo

FAQs

Who is the author of this autobiography and what is his main dream?

The autobiography is by Yo Yuasa. His central dream is to eliminate leprosy.

How did Yo Yuasa’s international education influence his career?

He studied abroad and later returned to Japan for medical work, gaining credits and experience that supported his progression into professional roles tied to leprosy control.

What role did MDT play in Yo Yuasa’s approach to eliminating leprosy?

MDT introduced in the 1980s created momentum for placing leprosy on the global public health agenda, with a focus on making treatment available through general health services for every patient.

Aug 23, 2026

Upload by Aurelia