What is Leprosy?
- Syranhi Easley
- Jul 28
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 18
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's Disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. Leprosy disease primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves, as well as the Mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes. If left untreated, Leprosy can cause permanent disability. The harmful bacteria are transmitted through droplets from the nose, eyes, and mouth during close and frequent contact. This has been detected in many untreated cases of Leprosy. Aside from the physical complications and deformity that the disease can cause, people who are affected by Leprosy often face discrimination and stigmatization. Although Leprosy is a highly complex disease because of its slow progression and likely permanent effects, it is curable with multidrug therapy during the early stages, which can prevent disability and treat further progression.
HOW DOES LEPROSY AFFECT OUR WORLD?
Leprosy has been documented in all six regions of the World Health Organization, with the majority of new annual cases originating from the South-East Asian region.
Leprosy is currently a neglected disease still present in more than 120 countries, with about 200,000 new cases reported every year. Although leprosy remains a significant issue in many countries worldwide, the global elimination of leprosy as a widespread health problem was achieved in 2000, and in most countries by 2010. However, the decline in new cases has been gradual. According to the World Health Organization: “...data from 2023 show that Brazil, India, and Indonesia continue to report more than 10,000 new cases, while 12 other countries (Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and the United Republic of Tanzania) each reported 1,000–10,000 new cases. Fifty-six countries reported zero cases, and 112 reported fewer than 1,000 new cases.” Leprosy is still a significant issue in our world today, affecting thousands of people daily worldwide, and in some areas, access to treatment is scarce.
TREATMENT
As mentioned before, Leprosy is curable, with the current treatment consisting of three forms of medicine: dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine, collectively known as the multidrug therapy (MDT). This treatment plan can prevent the permanent effects of Leprosy, and when prescribed early on, prevent disability. MDT essentially attacks the pathogens that cause Leprosy, curing the patient of the disease. Still, the duration it takes to do so depends on the form of Leprosy present (paucibacillary (PB) or multibacillary (MB) leprosy), ranging from 6 to 12 months. MDT also minimizes the risk of the bacteria developing resistance to the medication, which was prevalent in dapsone-only treatment, a previous form of drugs used to treat Leprosy.
Further information on Leprosy can be found on the World Health Organization (WHO) website or in the plausible sources linked below.
Works Cited
Written by: Syranhi Easley