Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that disproportionately affects poor and marginalised communities with limited healthcare access.
Disease basics: Leprosy, which is caused by a slow-growing bacterium, damages nerves and can lead to disability. Despite outdated beliefs and fears, it is not highly contagious.
Main challenge: Leprosy has a long incubation period, which leads to delayed diagnosis and potentially irreversible nerve damage before treatment can begin.
The cure vs the reality: While multi-drug therapy (MDT) has been available to treat leprosy since the 1980s, it cannot reverse existing nerve damage. Despite being declared as an “eliminated” disease, over 200,000 new cases of leprosy are still reported annually worldwide, and underreporting is a significant problem.
Why leprosy persists:
- Deep-rooted stigma causes people to delay seeking care.
- Weak surveillance and a lack of trained healthcare workers hinder early detection.
Promising solutions:
- Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP): Contacts of diagnosed patients can take antibiotics to prevent the onset of leprosy.
- Community programmes: Grassroots efforts in countries like India, Brazil and Indonesia use awareness campaigns and educate local healthcare workers to fight stigma and find cases early.
- Vaccination: The BCG vaccine offers partial protection from leprosy, and a new vaccine candidate is in trials.
While tools to cure leprosy are available, systemic neglect and a lack of willingness to address stigma is still leaving many people undiagnosed and isolated. Read more: Revisiting the Forgotten Face of Leprosy.