Chile’s health system remained vigilant against leprosy even in the absence of local transmission | Photo Credit: Rawpixel

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have lauded Chile for becoming the first country in the Americas — and second globally — to be officially verified as having eliminated leprosy disease. Jordan was the first globally.  

Leprosy (Hansen disease) is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. It was historically recorded in Chile, end 19th century, on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). The disease was limited in mainland Chile, with sporadic introductions, contained through isolation and treatment measures in the island, where the last secondary cases were managed by late 1990s.

Chile has not reported any locally acquired case of leprosy for more than 30 years. The disease was never removed from the country’s public health agenda — it remained a notifiable condition, monitored through mandatory reporting, integrated surveillance, and continuous clinical readiness across the health system.

The verification recognises more than three decades of sustained public health action, robust surveillance, long-term political commitment, and a health system that has remained vigilant even in the absence of local transmission, the WHO said.

At the request of Chile’s Ministry of Health, PAHO and WHO convened an independent expert panel in 2025 to assess whether elimination had been achieved and could be sustained over time. The panel conducted a thorough assessment, reviewing epidemiological data, surveillance mechanisms, case management protocols, and sustainability plans. Its findings confirmed the absence of local transmission and validated Chile’s capacity to detect and respond to future cases.

Leprosy is fully curable with multidrug therapy, and early detection prevents complications. As a neglected tropical disease, leprosy persists in over 120 countries, with more than 200,000 new cases annually worldwide, the WHO said.

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Published on March 9, 2026