Comrade Li Huanying, a Model of the Times, a world-renowned expert in leprosy prevention and treatment, and a researcher at Beijing Friendship Hospital and Beijing Institute of Tropical Medicine affiliated to Capital Medical University, passed away in Beijing on November 25, 2022, at the age of 101.

Li Huanying, born in Beijing in 1921, studied at Johns Hopkins University in the United States in 1946. After graduation, she was one of the first batch of officials after the establishment of the World Health Organization, and had outstanding performance in the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and other diseases that spread in the less developed areas.

"The new China has just been founded, everything is still in ruins. As a Chinese, I must not forget my roots, and I should come back." In 1958, Li Huanying refused to renew her five-year contract with the WHO and resolutely returned to China without telling her parents who had settled in the United States.

In 1978, Li Huanying was transferred to Beijing Friendship Hospital and Beijing Institute of Tropical Medicine as a researcher. Since then, at the age of 57, she has devoted all her energy to leprosy prevention and research.

Leprosy is an ancient disease of mankind and was once an "incurable disease". The patients have been deeply discriminated against. The disease not only brought great suffering to patients, but also brought great fear to society. "In the past, people were terribly afraid of leprosy. I didn't believe in that and decided to fight against this misconception."

Li Huanying conducted a field trip in leprosy village

For the cause of leprosy prevention and treatment in China, Li Huanying actively applied to the World Health Organization for millions of US dollars funds in prevention and treatment, and has been traveling for a long time in the poor and remote areas of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan. She went to almost every village in 7 prefectures, 59 counties and towns.

While fighting the disease, Li Huanying constantly fought against social discrimination against the disease. "In the past, people were terribly afraid of leprosy, so I didn't believe in that and decided to fight against this misconception." The patient tentatively shook her hand, and she did not let go for a long time.

Leprosy patients are numb in their hands and feet. In order to prevent their skin from breaking and ulcerating, she will put her hand into the patient's shoes to check if there is sand inside.

Examination for patients in leprosy villages

In 1989, Li Huanying, who was in her seventies, was on the way to the leprosy ward. The car she was riding in suddenly lost control when climbing over the snowy mountains, rolling into a ravine more than ten meters deep. When she woke up, a large blood stain had been left on the snow, her collarbones and three ribs on both sides were fractured, and her head was traumatized with a 7-stitch wound.

Before complete recovery, she continued to work with bandages and plaster casts. This experience has been repeated more than once. "If you want to make a career, you should not be afraid to make efforts. “If you calculate gain and loss, you may never make it.” Li Huanying explained her insistence.

Crossed the river by canoe into the leprosy village

In order to seek better treatment, Li Huanying boldly conceived, pioneered and innovated, combined advanced foreign treatment methods with domestic reality, and took the lead in carrying out a special action plan for leprosy eradication, presenting a treatment plan that can be stopped within 24 months after taking the medicine combined chemotherapy.

In just a few years, leprosy, which has ravaged for thousands of years, has become a controllable and treatable common disease. The number of leprosy patients nationwide has dropped from 110,000 to less than 10,000, with an annual recurrence rate of only 0.03%, far below the standard of less than 1% in international organizations. She solved the problem of treating leprosy and relieved tens of thousands of leprosy patients from the disease.

In 1996, she initiated the leprosy elimination campaign in China, which promoted early detection and treatment of leprosy.

In 1998, the 15th International Leprosy Conference was held in Beijing, and Li Huanying was elected as the rotating executive chairman of the conference. At the meeting, Li Huanying, one of the eight expert members of the Seventh Leprosy Expert Committee of the World Health Organization, made a report on the implementation of the special action plan for leprosy prevention and control in Yunnan. Dr. Nodine, an official of the World Health Organization, commented that they did the best in the field work of leprosy prevention and control in the world.

In 2007, China announced to the world that after more than 50 years of hard work, China had finally walked out of the leprosy era.

Li Huanying walked across the single-wood bridge and entered the leprosy village

Over the years, Li Huanying has continuously optimized the treatment plan, wholeheartedly devoted herself to shortening the course of treatment, eliminating discrimination, solving major strategic and technical key problems in this field, and providing an important basis for China's overall plan for the control and eradication of leprosy.

However, Li Huanying was not satisfied, she said, "Although leprosy was basically eliminated in China, it has not been completely eradicated. We still have a lot of work to do."

Li Huanying worked with her assistant

In 2016, the 95-year-old Li Huanying submitted an application to the party organization to join the party and officially became a member of the Communist Party of China at the end of the year.

Li Huanying took the oath to join the party

Li Huanying wrote in her application for joining the party that in her many years of social life and medical work, she has deeply realized that the Communist Party of China is a party that serves the people wholeheartedly. With the training, support and help of the Party, she has done some work for leprosy patients and made certain achievements. The Party has given her a lot of honor and encouragement. Although entering her old age, she was willing to fight for the leprosy cause as a party member for the rest of her life.

Li Huanying won the title of "The Most Outstanding Contributors"

Li Huanying has won the first prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, the first Lifetime Achievement Award of China Leprosy Prevention and Treatment, the Ho Leung Ho Lee Science and Technology Progress Award, the National May Day Labor Medal, the National Model of Medical Ethics, and was awarded the title of "Most Outstanding Contributors" in 2019 and the title of "Model of the Times" in 2021.