Advocacy
By 2015, the target of eliminating leprosy as a public health problem had been achieved in almost all countries. Once this target was achieved, governments reduced their resource allocation for leprosy control programmes. However, this is an outdated definition of elimination, meaning fewer than 1 case in 10,000 population.
Leprosy persists today and is now chronically underfunded and neglected by governments all over the world.
More than 200,000 new cases reported every year and an unknown number of unreported cases. In order to reach zero leprosy, the government in each country needs to own their own zero leprosy roadmap.
We know that we will not defeat leprosy by working on our own. Partnerships are vital to our aim of a world without leprosy and a world without leprosy-related discrimination. This is why we work with international, national, and local governments, as well as with Organisations of Persons Affected by Leprosy.
Discover our advocacy messages for the disability sector >
We believe in the power of self-advocates >
We have trained thousands of people to advocate on their own behalf because their voices are more powerful than ours can ever be.
TLM's Advocacy Working Group
In 2024, The Leprosy Mission's Board commissioned a new Member-Appointed Working Group on advocacy. This includes experts from within and outside of The Leprosy Mission.
Our advocacy work is informed by our key messages
These key messages are focused on how advocacy and partnership can lead us to a world with zero leprosy transmission and towards zero leprosy disability and zero leprosy discrimination.
Read our messages document
We work with the CRPD, Special Rapporteurs, and the Human Rights Council.
Mainstreaming leprosy rights within the wider disability rights movements is a key part of our advocacy work.
Human Rights are repeatedly stolen from persons affected by leprosy. We tackle that wherever we can.
Advocacy articles listed
The Leprosy Mission is hosting two side events at the Global Disability Summit 2022.
In October 2021, TLM presented a petition to permanent missions to the UN in Geneva. The petition called for an end to all laws that discriminate against persons affected by leprosy.
At the UN's major disability rights conference in June 2021, we heard from several persons affected by leprosy who spoke powerfully about their experiences.
In December 2020, the UN hosted its major disability rights conference (COSP13). At this conference, The Leprosy Mission and Disabled Peoples’ International (DPI) hosted a side event that considered the challenges women affected by leprosy face in accessing their rights.
When we represented the leprosy community before the UN for the first time in November 2017, little did we know the incredible impact it would go on to have in the lives of people affected by leprosy.
Globally there are more than a billion people with disabilities and even then, there are those ‘missing millions’ who are not counted as they are not aware of their status as persons with disabilities.
Sadly, the mental health of persons affected by leprosy and other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) is yet to become a priority for governments in NTD endemic countries. This is something we ought to change right away.
We are running a global petition to demand an end to all discriminatory laws
We are seeking specific changes from governments across the world
Our advocacy and communication team in India is leading the way in leprosy advocacy work worldwide.
Brent Morgan, TLM International Director, spoke at the UN's 11th CRPD Conference in 2018. This is the statement he delivered.
U Soe Win spoke at a roundtable even at the UN's CRPD Conference in 2020. This is what he said.