Global leprosy situation, 2005

Overview

 The strategy to eliminate leprosy as a public health problem (defined as a registered prevalence rate of less than 1 case per 10 000 population) has helped countries to further reduce the burden of disease. At the beginning of 2005, the global registered prevalence of leprosy was 286 063 cases and the number of new cases detected during 2004 was 407 791. The number of new cases detected globally has fallen by around 107 000 cases (21% decrease) during 2004 compared with 2003. This decrease was mainly a result of the reduction in the number of new cases detected in India, where the detection declined by 29% as compared with 2003.

Since 1985, more than 14 million patients globally have been cured through multidrug therapy (MDT).

Leprosy now remains a public health problem in 6 countries in Africa, 2 in South-East Asia and 1 in Latin America. These countries are Angola, Brazil, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal and the United Republic of Tanzania.

WHO will continue its support to the remaining highly endemic countries, to ensure that the goal of elimination is achieved. In addition, it will provide essential support to countries that have achieved elimination, to reduce the disease burden further and to ensure that the leprosy control services are sustained, by providing technical support, monitoring the leprosy situation, providing MDT drugs free of charge, improving drug supply logistics and promoting advocacy to maintain political commitment at all levels.