The Ministry of Education and Research has in a letter dated March 28, 2022, given the University of Bergen the mandate to arrange the official commemoration of the 150-year anniversary of Gerhard Armauer Hansen’s discovery of the leprosy bacillus.

The Ministry, on behalf of the Norwegian government, looks forward to collaborating on the event. All practicalities regarding organization and implementation should be done by the University of Bergen but can be promoted as an official commemoration.

The University of Bergen has established a program committee, under the leadership of historian Magnus Vollset, to plan the anniversary events.