Chile Becomes First Americas Nation to Eliminate Leprosy

The World Health Organization (WHO), together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has officially verified that Chile has eliminated leprosy as a public health problem.

• With this milestone, Chile has become the first country in the Americas to achieve this recognition and the second country in the world after Jordan.
• According to WHO and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), no local case of leprosy has been reported in Chile for more than 30 years, with the last detected case recorded in 1993.
• Chile is now the 61st country worldwide and the sixth in the Americas to eliminate at least one Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD). This supports PAHO’s Disease Elimination Initiative, which targets more than 30 communicable diseases by 2030.
• WHO defines leprosy elimination as a prevalence rate of less than 1 case per 10,000 population. Under the WHO Global Leprosy Strategy 2021–2030, transmission elimination means zero locally accepted cases for three consecutive years and no cases in children for five years.

About leprosy disease

• Leprosy, also called Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae. It mainly affects the skin, peripheral nerves, eyes, and respiratory mucosa.
• Although leprosy can be cured, if untreated it can cause severe disability, nerve damage, and social stigma.
• If not treated, leprosy can lead to permanent disability due to nerve damage, but it can be completely cured with Multidrug Therapy (MDT), which has been widely used since the 1980s.
• The treatment usually includes antibiotics such as rifampicin, dapsone, and clofazimine, which effectively kill the bacteria and stop the disease from progressing.