Leprosy - World Health Organization (WHO) Leprosy, also known as Hansen disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused mainly by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes Apart from the physical deformity, persons affected by leprosy also face stigmatization and discrimination However, leprosy is curable and treatment
Leprosy (Hansen disease) - World Health Organization (WHO) Leprosy, also known as Hansen disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused mainly by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae The disease affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes Apart from the physical deformity, persons affected by leprosy also face stigmatization and
Leprosy WPRO - World Health Organization (WHO) Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast, rod-shaped bacillus The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes Leprosy is curable and treatment in the early stages can prevent disability
Leprosy (Hansen disease) - World Health Organization (WHO) Recent strategies to eliminate leprosy promote combating stigma and discrimination, including persons affected by leprosy, building partnerships and coalitions of relevant stakeholders, and increased ownership by countries In 2023, 184 countries, areas and territories shared information on leprosy, accounting for 182 815 new cases, of which 72
Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of leprosy The Guidelines for the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Leprosy provide state-of-the-art knowledge and evidence on leprosy diagnosis, treatment and prevention based on a public health approach in endemic countries The target audience of this document includes policy-makers in leprosy or infectious diseases in the ministries of health (especially but not limited to endemic countries
Message for World Leprosy Day 2025 - World Health Organization (WHO) The number of leprosy patients worldwide has fallen from around 5 million in the 1980s to less than 200,000 new cases reported each year today But leprosy still exists Partly because of the disruption caused by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there are people in some countries without access to desperately needed treatment
Global leprosy (Hansen disease) update, 2021: moving towards . . . Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by Mycobacterium leprae Since the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT), the registered prevalence has decreased substantially, from more than 5 million cases in the 1980s to 133 802 cases in 2021 New cases continued to occur, however, indicating continuing transmission of infection Screening of contacts and chemoprophylaxis with single
Leprosy (Hansen’s disease): interrupting transmission and achieving . . . Leprosy is caused by infection with the bacillus Mycobacterium leprae, which multiplies very slowly in the human body The bacterium has a long incubation period (on average 5 years or longer) The disease affects nerve endings and destroys the body’s ability to feel pain and injury Leprosy is curable
Leprosy Hansen disease elimination dossier: Tool accompanying the . . . The Global Leprosy Strategy 2021–2030: Towards zero leprosy 5 aims to contribute to achieving the SDGs and is one of the disease-specific strategies underpinning the WHO Road map for NTDs 2021–2030 The Global Leprosy Strategy 2021–2030 presents the fundamental direction, goals and strategic pillars at a global level