Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, is one of the world’s oldest neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)—a group of preventable and treatable conditions that continue to affect millions of people, particularly those living in poverty and with limited access to health services.
Globally, there are leprosy cases in more than 120 countries, and around 200,000 new cases reported every year. The region of the Americas accounts for approximately 13% of all reported cases worldwide. The elimination of leprosy is defined as: zero new autochthonous cases for at least three consecutive years after having interrupted transmission for at least five years.
Every case of leprosy in Chile triggers surveillance, investigation, treatment, and follow-up, reinforcing a system designed not for volume, but for vigilance. Surveillance data show that between 2012 and 2023, a total of 47 cases were reported nationwide, all of them imported. Most occurred in men and were concentrated in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago.
“Imported cases do not represent a risk for the population because they are detected and treated,” explains Dr. José Antonio Vergara, a physician working in public health services in southern Chile. “What matters is staying alert and making an early diagnosis to interrupt any possible chain of transmission.”
Leprosy spreads through prolonged, close contact with a person who has not been treated. Transmission occurs mainly via respiratory droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and not through casual contact such as shaking hands, sharing food, or sitting nearby.
Leprosy is curable, and for decades patients worldwide have been treated with multidrug therapy (MDT). Since 1995, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), has provided MDT free of charge to Member States in the Americas, including Chile. This sustained access to treatment has been critical to curing the disease, preventing disability, and interrupting transmission.