Our advocacy and communication team in India is leading the way in leprosy advocacy work worldwide.

We are seeking specific changes from governments across the world

We are running a global petition to demand an end to all discriminatory laws

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

The Leprosy Mission is hosting two side events at the Global Disability Summit 2022.

A speech delivered at the UK parliament in June 2022 by Rachna Kumari, a person affected by leprosy

On Friday 17 June 2022, TLM hosted a side event at the UN's CRPD Conference, alongside our partners, Disabled Peoples' International

The Leprosy Mission will be at the United Nations' CRPD Conference in 2023, representing millions of persons affected by leprosy across the world.

The Co-Chair of the 3rd Roundtable at the 2023 CRPD Conference was Ana Ivonia from The Leprosy Mission Timor-Leste

Persons affected by leprosy and their representative organisations are looking for a space within the disability sector through which they can have their voices heard and their rights accessed.

Leprosy is a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), which places it under SDG 3.3. NTDs affect 1.7bn people across the world.

Ana Ivonia gave a statement at the conference's third roundtable on reaching underrepresented groups of persons with disabilities.

The Leprosy Mission's Global Advocacy Lead's statement, written for the CRPD Conference in 2023