Sister Julia's story
Fighting the spread of leprosy
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Working together for a world free from leprosy
Zero TRANSMISSION
We are working together to stop the transmission of leprosy
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2
Every 2 minutes someone is diagnosed with leprosy
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1 in 10
One in ten people diagnosed with leprosy is a child
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94
94 countries detected new cases of leprosy in 2015
Reaching Zero Transmission
The development of new multi-drug therapies decades ago has made leprosy easily treatable. 16 million people have been cured since 1981.
While we have tools to prevent the disease spreading, transmission rates have remained steady in recent years. It is estimated that more than one million people will be newly diagnosed over the next five years.
Through new research and better diagnostic testing, we are working together to bring the number of people affected by leprosy worldwide down to zero.
Zero Transmission: current research and projects
Innovating to stop the transmission of leprosy: LPEP
The leprosy post-exposure prophylaxis project (LPEP) aims to introduce preventive treatment for leprosy in several pilot countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America with the purpose of reducing the risk for contact persons of newly diagnosed patients to develop leprosy.
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How do we achieve Zero Transmission?
Dr Paul Saunderson's view on what will it will take to reach Zero Transmission.
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Sister Julia's story: Fighting the spread of leprosy
A chance encounter between a Catholic nun and a group of elderly people affected by leprosy in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh more than twenty years ago proved a turning point in the lives of the six leprosy patients — and many hundreds more like them.
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We must not allow the early detection of new cases to stagnate. Proactive, early diagnosis of leprosy must remain an international and national priority, to prevent leprosy from being transmitted to children and disabilities developing
Dr Erwin Cooreman, Team Leader WHO Global Leprosy Programme
