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

All →

Skin health for all: update on skin neglected tropical diseases with a focus on Buruli ulcer and yaws

Weekly epidemiological record

Download

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

The Leprosy Elimination Monitoring Tool (LEMT) has been developed based on the Leprosy Elimination Framework1 in order to promote: a standard way to monitor...

Download

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...

Download