The Leprosy Mission
Drug distribution for Leprosy, MDT, in Nigeria

Facilitating the provision of medicines for leprosy

Multidrug therapy (MDT), a combination of three medicines (dapsone, clofazimine and rifampicin) has been the cornerstone of leprosy treatment since the 1980s.

WHO has facilitated the provision of MDT medicines worldwide and free-of-charge through a donation financed by The Nippon Foundation (from 1995 to 1999) and since year 2000 onwards by Novartis.

More than 16 million leprosy patients have been successfully treated with MDT.

Treatment of Leprosy

Annual Request for the supply of free anti-leprosy medicines

Impact

Global Strategy

Global Leprosy Strategy 2021‒2030, towards zero leprosy

16 Million

Patients treated over the past 20 years

Press release

More than 180,000

New cases diagnosed in 2023

Read the update

WHO Teams

Relevant publications

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DHIS2-based leprosy/Hansen disease Elimination Monitoring Tool (‎LEMT)‎ – Standard operating procedures

The LEMT is based on the “phases of elimination” and visually displays the country’s progress towards the milestones on a national and subnational level,...

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Technical Guidance on leprosy/Hansen disease case-based management system (based on DHIS2)

DHIS2 (District Health Information System 2) is a tool for collection, validation, analysis and presentation of aggregate and patient‐based data, tailored...

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Leprosy/Hansen disease elimination dossier: Tool accompanying the technical guidance on interruption of transmission and elimination of leprosy

The Global Leprosy Strategy 2021–2030: Towards zero leprosy 5 aims to contribute to achieving the SDGs and is one of the disease-specific strategies...

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