In a landmark public health achievement, the World Health Organization has officially verified Chile as having eliminated leprosy — making it the first country in the Americas, and only the second in the world, to reach this historic milestone.
The announcement came on March 4, 2026, following a rigorous independent assessment by a panel of experts convened by PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) and the WHO at the request of Chile's Ministry of Health. The verification confirmed that Chile has achieved less than 1 leprosy case per 10,000 population, with no locally acquired transmission in over three decades.
**Thirty Years in the Making**
Chile's last locally acquired case of leprosy was detected in 1993. But achieving WHO verification required far more than just the absence of new cases — the country had to demonstrate robust surveillance systems, maintained clinical expertise, and the capacity to detect and respond to any imported cases in the future.
'Chile's elimination of leprosy sends a clear message to the world: with sustained commitment, inclusive health services, integrated public health strategies, early detection and universal access to care, we can consign ancient diseases to history,' said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The achievement reflects over 30 years of continuous investment in leprosy surveillance, prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment — a sustained public health effort that continued even as the disease became increasingly rare.
**A Disease With a Painful History**
Leprosy, caused by the bacterium *Mycobacterium leprae*, is one of the oldest recorded diseases in human history. For centuries, it carried devastating social stigma — those affected were often isolated in colonies, stripped of their rights, and excluded from their communities.
Modern treatment with multidrug therapy has made leprosy entirely curable. But elimination requires more than a cure — it demands that a country's health system detect every case, treat it promptly, and prevent transmission. Chile has now proven it can do all three, consistently, over decades.
**Only the Second Country in the World**
The milestone puts Chile in rarefied company. Jordan became the first country in the world to receive WHO leprosy elimination verification in September 2024. Chile, by achieving the same status just months later, demonstrates that the goal is achievable across different regions and health system models.
'This is a powerful testament to what leadership, science, and solidarity can accomplish,' the WHO stated in its announcement.
For the global health community, the news is a reminder that ancient diseases — those that have plagued humanity for millennia — can be defeated. Not all at once, but one country at a time, through sustained commitment, sound science, and the political will to follow through. 🌍
*Sources: World Health Organization, PAHO, Chile Ministry of Health*
