Recent research has uncovered new markers of the bacterium that causes leprosy, and genetics may contribute to the development of new approaches, although a precise explanation of the disease remains challenging.

Mycobacterium leprae cannot be cultured in the laboratory, which limits a full biological understanding of leprosy.
Today, the disease is curable, and early diagnosis is essential to prevent its devastating effects. By improving the effectiveness of multidrug therapy, the WHO’s strategic plan aims to reduce the incidence to fewer than 1 case per 10,000 people. However, because it shares characteristics with related bacteria, leprosy is still considered by some as a re-emerging disease, and its complete eradication remains out of reach.

Leprosy is as old as the hills and has always worn the same mask of stigma and rejection throughout the centuries—a tragic mask, behind which are human beings with the same emotions and dignity as any other person.