Nakamura’s legacy revived as leprosy care resumes in Afghanistan

Six years after the killing of renowned Japanese humanitarian doctor Tetsu Nakamura, his earliest mission in Afghanistan—providing care for leprosy patients—has been brought back to life.

Ahead of the sixth anniversary of Nakamura’s death on December 4, his colleagues have reopened leprosy services in eastern Afghanistan, marking the first time in 15 years that dedicated treatment has been available locally.

On November 1, the Tetsu Nakamura Memorial Leprosy Center officially opened in Jalalabad. A three-story private residence has been fully renovated to house treatment rooms and separate five-bed wards for men and women. The facility is jointly operated by Peshawar-kai, the Fukuoka-based NGO, and Peace Japan Medical Services (PMS), the local organisation Nakamura founded.

Staff at the new center include two doctors, three nurses, and 19 local employees. The name of the center was chosen unanimously, reflecting their shared commitment to carry forward Nakamura’s guiding motto: “Continue all of Dr. Nakamura’s projects and carry forward all hopes.”

Before the opening, Chiyoko Fujita, head of the PMS support office, urged the staff to embrace the responsibility handed down to them: “Patients’ lives are in your hands.”

From leprosy care to life-saving irrigation

Nakamura’s humanitarian journey began in 1984 when he was assigned to a hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, where he oversaw the leprosy ward. Patients from remote Afghan mountain regions—where no medical services existed—soon began crossing the border in growing numbers.

Disturbed by the hardships of their long journeys, Nakamura began establishing clinics in Afghanistan during the 1990s. But worsening security forced leprosy treatment to halt in 2010.

Amid a devastating drought in 2000, Nakamura shifted focus to irrigation, launching the transformative Green Ground Project in 2003 to channel river water into parched farmland. Irrigation and water management became the core of his work in the years that followed.

Even shortly before being shot dead in 2019, alolng with his four security guards and his driver, Nakamura reportedly said: “We must build a leprosy center.”

A renewed mission

Since Nakamura’s death, Peshawar-kai and PMS have continued his irrigation and medical initiatives. Improved security conditions and a request from provincial authorities paved the way for reopening leprosy services.

Newly recruited staff are now undergoing specialised training, with plans to expand into mobile clinics and inpatient care. Early detection remains a challenge, especially because cultural norms often prevent women from being examined by male doctors.

“We will focus on training female nurses and ensure these skills are passed on,” Fujita said.

PMS general director Masaru Murakami said the reopening marks a turning point after years of uncertainty. “Now we can finally resume treatment. With Nakamura’s will—to sustain life and keep this light alive—we want to move forward,” he said.