Introduction
This report covers the progress of The Leprosy Mission towards our strategic objectives by the end of 2022, a year that saw us start to move out from under the shadow of the pandemic following the lifting of most Covid-19 restrictions.
During the pandemic, fewer people were diagnosed with leprosy because health workers were not able to visit communities and patients could not visit health centres. Because people were not being diagnosed and placed on treatment, they were being put at serious risk of developing preventable disabilities and there was increased risk of leprosy transmission within the communities we serve.
In 2022, we saw the number of leprosy cases increase, as pandemic restrictions eased and it became easier for us to access patients and for patients to access us. This is good news, as patients were found and given the treatment they need.
However, we cannot underestimate the longer-term impact of the pandemic. Individuals and communities will continue to be affected for years to come; two years of interruption has allowed transmission to continue with fewer interventions; disabilities because of leprosy went untreated, allowing them to get worse for far too many people for far too long; some livelihood initiatives stopped during the pandemic, and only began again towards the end of 2022.
In the global recovery from the pandemic, we are seeing that it is the poorest and most vulnerable that are being left behind. Sadly, persons affected by leprosy are often among those groups. We have a responsibility to ensure persons affected by leprosy are not left behind, but are given the opportunity to thrive in the post-pandemic world.
In 2022, we implemented projects in 16 endemic countries.
In the coming pages you will read about how we have worked towards our ‘three zero’ targets: zero transmission, zero disability, and zero discrimination. You’ll see how this work contributes towards making a world where persons affected by leprosy can thrive. We hope you will enjoy learning more.
Jannine Ebenso, Head of Quality Assurance
