Leprosy is the oldest disease in the world. Sadly, hundreds of thousands of people are still diagnosed with it ever year. We are now entering 2020 and I believe that, in the next 15 years, we will end transmission by 2035.

Leprosy is not what you think it is.

In recent months, we have heard plenty about how contact tracing is a key weapon in the fight to bring an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. The same is true for leprosy,.

Understanding the transmission of leprosy will help us to combat transmission of the disease, as well as other problems associated with leprosy.

Here are some of the more unusual things about the transmission of the disease.

We believe we can end the transmission of the disease by 2035 and one of the crucial new tools to help us achieve this is PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis).

We want to raise the voice of people affected by leprosy and other NTDs. Their plight could be avoided through the eradication of poverty.

Are we still on course to achieve our goal of zero transmission by 2035? In short, yes.

After thousands of years of the disease ruining lives, we are now on the edge of defeating leprosy. Here are three reasons we believe we can, with the right resources, end the transmission of leprosy by 2035.

A look at the AEP Project in Bangladesh, which is improving awareness of leprosy through the government, the media, and self-help groups across the country.

A look at a project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that is piloting an integrated approach to controlling leprosy, Buruli ulcer and yaws.

Heal Nepal works through local communities to provide cutting-edge treatments and care to end suffering and disability caused by leprosy and lymphatic filariasis.

This new project will improve leprosy knowledge and skills in areas of high transmission, increase early detection of the disease, and ensure that local communities have the skills and confidence to solve their ongoing health and environmental challenges in a way that is relevant to their own local context.

Our researchers in Bangladesh are working on a new field-friendly diagnostic tool that could dramatically reduce transmission of the disease within communities and prevent leprosy-related disabilities.

Details of TLM's work to develop a post-exposure prophylaxis that could prevent leprosy

A look at research in Bangladesh that aims to establish the efficacy of a shorter course of MDT Treatment.

A look at research which reveals the extent to which household contacts are at risk of developing leprosy

Our researchers are looking at ways to use smartphone cameras as a field-friendly quick test for leprosy.