Every two minutes someone is diagnosed with leprosy. It causes nerve damage and muscle weakness that can lead to deformities, crippling, blindness, and isolation.

Every day, more than 40 girls and boys around the world are diagnosed with leprosy. Many more will miss early detection and diagnosis because of stigma, fear, and lack of medical expertise.

But leprosy can be cured. If it’s detected early, suffering and disabilities can be prevented.

Many Americans think leprosy no longer exists.

But, in 2019, 115 countries reported new cases of leprosy.

In the U.S., about 150 to 250 cases are still reported each year.

Leprosy can develop at any age but appears to develop most often in people aged 5 to 15 years or over 30.

For more information about World Leprosy Day contact the American Leprosy Missions at leprosy.org

or visit the Centers for Disease Control @ www.cdc.gov/leprosy/

Together, we can put a stop to discrimination and stigma against people with Leprosy; learn to recognize symptoms and know when to see a physician for a diagnosis.