World Leprosy Day, observed on the last Sunday of January, highlights the continuing presence of leprosy in the Philippines, despite the disease being curable and free treatment being widely available.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippines eliminated leprosy as a public health problem at the national level in 1998. However, new cases continue to be detected every year. Health authorities say this trend indicates that local transmission persists in specific areas, largely due to delayed diagnosis and lingering stigma.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has repeatedly stressed that elimination does not mean zero cases, but sustained control through early detection and uninterrupted treatment. Philippine health officials are renewing calls to address stigma as a critical barrier to timely care.
A disease the world can cure, but not yet end
Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is a chronic infectious condition caused by Mycobacterium leprae. It primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves.
WHO confirms that leprosy is fully curable through multidrug therapy (MDT), and early treatment prevents disability. Despite this, the disease remains present globally. Based on WHO’s latest Global Health Observatory data, 172,717 new leprosy cases were reported worldwide in 2024. These cases came from 188 countries, areas, and territories.
WHO also reported that 9,397 of these cases occurred among children, a key indicator of ongoing transmission. Another 9,157 new patients were diagnosed with Grade 2 disability, a sign that many cases were detected late.
At the same time, WHO emphasizes that leprosy is not highly contagious. Transmission drops rapidly once treatment begins. However, fear of discrimination continues to delay care in many settings. For this reason, WHO’s theme for World Leprosy Day 2026, “Leprosy is curable, the real challenge is stigma,” places social barriers at the center of disease control efforts.
The Philippine context: elimination without disappearance
In the Philippines, leprosy remains a public health concern despite decades of progress. DOH Administrative Order No. 2021-0004, which outlines updated national guidelines for leprosy prevention and control, confirms that the country achieved elimination in 1998.
However, the same document reports that the Philippines recorded an average of about 1,500 to 2,000 new cases each year from 2008 to 2018. This pattern confirms that local transmission continues.
Health authorities clarify that elimination refers to reaching a low prevalence threshold at the national level, not the complete absence of disease. As a result, early case detection, contact screening, and treatment completion remain priorities to prevent disability and interrupt transmission.
Recent regional data reinforce this reality. A report by the Philippine News Agency cited DOH officials in the Ilocos Region, who recorded 132 leprosy cases as of December 2023, while maintaining prevalence below the national elimination benchmark. WHO program documents also continue to list the Philippines among countries reporting nearly 2,000 new cases annually, placing it among higher-burden countries in the Western Pacific Region.
Stigma as a driver of late diagnosis
MDT consists of rifampicin, dapsone, and clofazimine. National programs, supported by WHO drug donations, provide these medicines free of charge in endemic countries. Treatment lasts six months for paucibacillary cases and 12 months for multibacillary cases, depending on clinical classification.
In the Philippines, DOH’s 2021 administrative order details the role of the National Leprosy Control Program in coordinating MDT distribution and ensuring continuous access to medicines. Hospital advisories and government information releases regularly stress that treatment is free in public health facilities and that completing the full course is essential to cure the disease and prevent relapse.
However, health officials caution that free treatment alone is not enough if patients delay their first consultation. Outreach efforts now focus on making services visible, accessible, and nonjudgmental at the primary care level.
Strengthening detection through community and technology
To close gaps in early detection, Philippine health agencies are bringing diagnosis closer to communities. One initiative documented by the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) uses mobile phone–enabled referrals. Health workers in remote areas can send photos and descriptions of suspicious skin lesions to specialists for guidance.
According to DOST-PCHRD, this approach aims to shorten delays between suspicion and referral, especially in geographically isolated areas.
Meanwhile, awareness campaigns tied to World Leprosy Day and national prevention weeks reinforce the message that leprosy services remain available year-round. These campaigns encourage early consultation and emphasize that seeking care should be routine, not feared.
Leprosy is curable. MDT is free. Disability is largely preventable with early detection.
While the Philippines has sustained national elimination since 1998, new cases continue to be recorded, confirming that stigma and delayed diagnosis remain unresolved challenges. Science has already delivered the cure, but society must still deliver access without fear.
Ending leprosy in the Philippines will depend not only on medicines and policies, but on replacing silence with information and ensuring that early care-seeking is safe, ordinary, and humane.
Photo by Krzysztof Maksimiuk on Unsplash
*This article is intended to inform and empower readers with general, science-based health information drawn from reputable public health sources. It does not replace medical advice. For personal health concerns or symptoms, readers are encouraged to consult a licensed healthcare professional.
References
Department of Health (DOH). (2021). Updated guidelines on leprosy prevention, control, and treatment (Administrative Order No. 2021-0004). University of the Philippines Law Center.
https://law.upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/DOH-Administrative-Order-No-2021-0004.pdf
Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD). (2019). Referrals using mobile phone help detect leprosy.
https://www.pchrd.dost.gov.ph/news_and_updates/referrals-using-mobile-phone-help-detect-leprosy/
Philippine Information Agency (PIA). (2024, March 1). DOH urges public to embrace, not exclude leprosy patients.
https://mirror.pia.gov.ph/features/2024/03/01/doh-urges-public-to-embrace-not-exclude-leprosy-patients
Philippine News Agency (PNA). (2023). DOH reports continued leprosy cases in Ilocos Region.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1219472
World Health Organization (WHO). (2024). Global leprosy update 2024. Global Health Observatory.
https://apps.who.int/neglected_diseases/ntddata/leprosy/leprosy.html
World Health Organization (WHO). (2024). Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) – Fact sheet.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/leprosy
World Health Organization (WHO). (2026). World Leprosy Day 2026.
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2026/01/25/default-calendar/world-leprosy-day-2026
Yap, M. A., et al. (2022). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on leprosy among healthcare workers in a tertiary government hospital in the Philippines. Leprosy Review, 93(1).
https://leprosyreview.org/article/93/1/20-21071
