- Volume 57(1 Suppl 1) , Number 1
- Page: 231
History of the International Leprosy Congress
The International Leprosy Association (ILA) was created in January 1931, as a result of a conference, held in Manila, which was organized by the Leonard Wood Memorial for the coordination of leprosy. The purposes of the ILA are to "encourage and facilitate mutual acquaintance and collaboration between persons of all nationalities concerned in leprosy work and the coordination of their efforts; to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge of leprosy and its control; and in any other practicable manner to aid in the antileprosy campaign throughout the world; and to this end to publish a scientific journal of leprosy. It shall endeavor to cooperate with any other institution or organization dealing with leprosy work."
The INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEPROSY, whose first issue was published in 1933, has for over five decades served as a link among leprosy workers throughout the world. One of the responsibilities of the ILA is to hold an International Leprosy Congress once every five years. Previous Congresses include:
