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You might think of leprosy as a disease of the past, something that affected people in the Middle Ages.
That is partly true, since leprosy (Hansen disease) – a bacterial disease that affects the skin, eyes, nervous system, and upper respiratory tract – was at its peak in the 11th to 14th centuries, with thousands of leprosy-specific hospitals across the world.
However, the disease – which leads to permanent nerve damage and disability – never truly went away, and as late as the eighties, millions of people were suffering with leprosy every year. This only truly reduced in the 1990s with the introduction of multidrug therapy.
And recently, the fight to truly eradicate the disease hit a new milestone, with Chile officially named by the World Health Organization as the second country in the world – and the first country in the Americas – to have eliminated leprosy, with no cases for over thirty years.
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It’s a huge moment for both the country of Chile who have taken serious steps toward eradicating the disease amongst its population, and the world’s fight against the bacterial disease.
And as the World Health Organization’s Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained in the statement, this is a very promising sign for the future, too:
“This landmark public health achievement is a powerful testament to what leadership, science, and solidarity can accomplish. Chile’s elimination of leprosy sends a clear message to the world: with sustained commitment, inclusive health services, integrated public health strategies, early detection and universal access to care, we can consign ancient diseases to history.”
Coming shortly after Jordan was announced as the first country to fully eliminate the disease back in 2024, there are certainly promising signs that, after centuries, we’ve finally got a handle on this devastating condition.
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How did they do it? Well, it all started with a lot of hard work. Just because there hadn’t been cases of leprosy for some time, Chile didn’t lose focus – in fact, a mandatory reporting and surveillance protocol ensured that, if the disease did reoccur, health specialists were able to respond.
On a preventative level, Chile’s public-private health system includes equitable access for both citizens and non-citizens, with specialist training for clinicians to identify, isolate, and treat suspected cases.
But more than that, the continuous supply of free multidrug therapy for those suffering from leprosy has effectively contained the bacteria and avoided its transmission for three decades, as Chile’s Minister of Health, Ximena Aguilera, explains in the statement:
“This is very good news and a source of great pride for our country. Chile has received verification of the elimination of leprosy disease, becoming the first country in the Americas and the second globally to achieve this recognition. This milestone reflects decades of sustained public health efforts, including prevention strategies, early diagnosis, effective treatment, continuous follow-up, and the commitment of health teams across the country. It also reaffirms our responsibility to maintain active surveillance and ensure respectful, stigma-free care for all.”
It just goes to show that with determination and accessible healthcare, anything is possible.
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