WHO names first country free of leprosy

Jordan has been praised for a “historic milestone” in eliminating the age-old affliction

Jordan has become the first country in the world to have eliminated leprosy, the World Health Organization announced on Thursday.

No leprosy cases of local origin have been reported in the Middle Eastern country for over 20 years, an independent team commissioned by the WHO has verified. 

“This success was made possible by the leadership of the Ministry of Health, strong collaboration between WHO and the Ministry, and technical support provided by WHO at all three levels,” Dr. Jamela Al-Raiby, the WHO representative to Jordan, said on Thursday.

“Jordan’s elimination of this age-old disease is a historic milestone in public health and a huge success for efforts to eliminate leprosy globally,” said Saima Wazed, WHO’s regional director for Southeast Asia and head of the organization’s Global Leprosy Program.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also praised the government in Amman for the “impressive milestone” in public health.

“Leprosy has afflicted humanity for millennia, but country-by-country we are stopping transmission and freeing individuals, families and communities from its suffering and stigma,” Tedros said.

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The disease has been known since ancient times, when it was untreatable and resulted in a range of disabilities, from blindness to loss of limb. 

Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said that 

Jordan’s achievement “will transform the discourse around this age-old, stigmatizing disease,” and that Amman “stands as an inspiration to other countries, encouraging them to enhance their efforts and overcome barriers to achieve this remarkable feat.”

Both the WHO and the Jordanian Ministry of Health have stressed the importance of maintaining “robust surveillance systems” to detect potential new cases of the disease going forward.

Hansen’s disease, as it is officially known, is a bacterial infection. Left untreated, it can cause severe damage to the skin, peripheral nerves, soft tissues of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes. Leprosy is spread by droplets from the nose and mouth, but requires “prolonged, close contact over months” with the infected person, and cannot be passed through casual contact, according to the WHO.

The international body has classified it as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that still occurs in more than 120 countries. India, Brazil and Indonesia account for almost 80% of cases worldwide.