World Leprosy Day
World Leprosy Day
January 25, 2026
Every day, more than 40 girls and boys around the world are diagnosed with leprosy. Many more will miss early detection and diagnosis because of stigma, fear and lack of medical expertise.
But LEPROSY CAN BE CURED. If it’s detected early, suffering and disabilities can be prevented.
We want to end leprosy-related disabilities in children, and YOU CAN HELP.
That’s why, for more than 60 years, on the last Sunday of January thousands of people across the globe have stopped to remember those who suffer from leprosy.
World Leprosy Day helps to focus on the needs of some of the poorest and most marginalized people in the world – those affected by leprosy. Many people think of leprosy as an ancient disease that was eradicated many years ago. But every year, hundreds of thousands of children, women and men discover they have leprosy.
Join Us in Making a Difference Together
Leprosy in Children
- Leprosy is still being transmitted to children.
- New cases of leprosy in children comprise nearly 6% of all newly detected leprosy cases each year.
- Children are suffering from lifelong disabilities caused by leprosy.
- Proactive, early detection and treatment of leprosy must be an international priority, to prevent leprosy from being transmitted to children and disabilities developing.
Hope Starts With Healing
Right now, men, women, and children are suffering—isolated by disease, alone in their pain, and without hope. But together, we can change that.
From delivering critical medicines and supplies to equipping pastors with training and resources to care for their communities, we are reaching even the most marginalized people with the healing and hope they most desperately need. With your support today, Hope Rises!
