Novartis Renews WHO Commitment to Treat Leprosy by 2030

Novartis announced that it is renewing its commitment with the World Health Organization (WHO) to treat approximately 1 million additional people affected by leprosy by 2030, extending a long-standing partnership focused on disease elimination and prevention.

The announcement comes amid sustained global progress against leprosy. Since 1980, reported cases have declined by 96% worldwide, positioning leprosy control as one of the most notable public health achievements of the past decades. However, about 200,000 new cases are still detected each year, highlighting the need to maintain treatment access and prevention strategies, particularly in endemic regions. About 200 leprosy cases are reported each year in Mexico, with Sinaloa, Guanajuato, Guerrero, and Nayarit recording the highest incidence.

For 25 years, Novartis has worked with the WHO to provide multidrug therapy (MDT) for leprosy on a not-for-profit basis. The treatment, considered the standard of care, has reached millions of patients and has been central to reducing transmission and preventing long-term disabilities associated with delayed diagnosis. Despite these advances, an estimated 2 million to 3 million people continue to live with physical disabilities and social stigma resulting from the disease.

Since 2000, Novartis has donated over 70 million MDT blister packs through the WHO, with an estimated value of about US$124 million. These donations have supported the treatment of over 7.5 million patients worldwide and contributed to a 95% reduction in the global disease burden over the past three decades. The free availability of MDT has enabled health systems to scale treatment programs and interrupt transmission in high-burden settings.

The renewed commitment builds on earlier agreements, including a five-year extension announced in 2021, and reinforces a broader strategy aimed at reaching the remaining populations affected by leprosy. According to Novartis and the WHO, the initiative places emphasis on early treatment, disability prevention, and continued efforts to address stigma at the community level.

Prevention has also become a key component of elimination strategies. Launched in 2014, the Leprosy Post-Exposure Prophylaxis program evaluated the effectiveness of providing preventive treatment to close contacts of newly diagnosed patients. Implemented across seven countries and covering more than 150,000 people, the program generated evidence that supported the inclusion of this approach in the WHO’s 2018 guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of leprosy.

In parallel, Novartis has supported initiatives to strengthen early detection. In 2019, the Novartis Foundation announced a strategic alliance with Microsoft and Brazil’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation to explore the use of AI to support leprosy screening and diagnosis by analyzing images of skin lesions. The collaboration aims to improve case identification in settings with limited access to specialized healthcare professionals.

While leprosy is now considered curable, health authorities stress that elimination depends on sustained political commitment, uninterrupted treatment supply, and continued innovation. Novartis says the renewed agreement with the WHO is intended to support the final phase of global elimination efforts by combining treatment access, prevention tools, and new technologies through the end of the decade.

The WHO continues to provide technical support to countries and territories to strengthen leprosy prevention and control programs. As part of this role, the organization collects and consolidates epidemiological data from national health authorities each year and publishes the results in its Weekly Epidemiological Record in English and French, providing a standardized global overview of disease trends.

Following consultations with governments, technical experts, partner organizations, and people affected by leprosy, the WHO released the Towards Zero Leprosy global strategy for 2021–2030. The strategy is aligned with the Neglected Tropical Diseases Road Map and sets out a long-term vision focused on eliminating infection and disease, preventing disability, and ending stigma and discrimination associated with leprosy.

According to the WHO, the strategy is built on four core pillars. These include the implementation of integrated, country-led road maps in all endemic countries, the expansion of prevention measures alongside active case detection, improved management of leprosy and its complications to prevent new disabilities, and actions to address stigma while safeguarding the human rights of affected individuals. The framework also highlights the need for sustained investment in research and outlines priority areas to support innovation and evidence-based interventions.