WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says while cases of leprosy have fallen by 30 percent in the Americas, including the Caribbean, over the past two decades, discrimination, stigma and prejudice surrounding the disease continue to hamper efforts to further stop its transmission.
In a message marking World Leprosy Day, on Jan. 27, PAHO urged regional countries to increase efforts to address stigma and discrimination to put an end to this what it says is an “easily curable disease.”
“Throughout history, people affected by leprosy have continued to suffer stigma and discrimination,” said Dr. Marcos Espinal, PAHO’s director of communicable diseases and environmental determinants of health.
“Not only has this led to people affected by the disease being denied access to care, education and even free movement, but this continued discrimination means that many are still reluctant to seek medical treatment until symptoms have already become life-altering,” he added.
PAHO saidmore than 200,000 new cases of leprosy are detected worldwide annually, butleprosy has been eliminated in 23 countries of the Americas as a public health problem, meaning there is less than one case of leprosy per 10,000 habitants registered for treatment in the country.
