Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. If left untreated, it could lead to disabilities in a small proportion of patients. Visible deformities are one of the leading causes of stigma affecting health-seeking behaviour and social inclusion. Early detection and prompt treatment with multidrug therapy (MDT) can significantly reduce the burden of leprosy. MDT has been made available through WHO free of cost to all patients worldwide since 1995. More than 17 million patients received MDT over the past four decades.

In 2025, 203 countries, areas and territories shared information on leprosy, accounting for 167 356 new cases, of which 65 013 (38.8%) were among females and 8 344 (5.0%) were among children. Globally, 9 428 new cases with G2D were detected and 284 (3.0%) of them were among children. The 23 global priority countries for leprosy accounted for 95.6% (160 042) of all new cases detected in 2025.