01936nas a2200193   4500000000100000008004100001260003000042653001100072653001200083653001500095653001100110100003100121245004900152856004400201300001400245490000700259050002200266520145400288       2013                            d  bWorld Health Organization10aGlobal10aleprosy10aStatistics10aUpdate1 aWorld Health Organization 00aGlobal leprosy: update on the 2012 situation  uhttp://www.who.int/wer/2013/wer8835.pdf  a365–3790 v88  aWER 2013 issue 353 a<p>Early detection of cases and treatment with multidrug therapy (MDT) remain the key strategies in reducing the disease burden due to leprosy. MDT also shortens the duration of infectivity and therefore reduces the risk of further transmission to healthy individuals in the community. Three decades ago, large numbers of leprosy cases requiring MDT were reported from more than 122 countries and over these years some 16 million patients were cured. In 2012, the global leprosy statistics1 show that less than 20 countries reported &gt;1000 new cases, indicating that leprosy is gradually becoming limited to a small number of countries. WHO has twice updated the global leprosy control strategy since 2006, focusing on strategies to further reduce the disease burden due to leprosy, in consultation with national programmes of member states, partner organizations and donor agencies. Detection of all cases in a community and completion of prescribed treatment using MDT are the basic tenets of the enhanced global strategy.2 The strategy also emphasizes the need to sustain expertise and increase the number of skilled leprosy staff, improve the participation of affected persons in leprosy services and reduce the stigma associated with leprosy. The enhanced global strategy set as a target for 2015 the reduction of new cases with visible deformity or grade 2 disabilities (G2D) per 100 000 people by 35% compared to the G2D rate of 2010.</p>