It’s known as the “living death.” Without treatment, leprosy victims suffer a steady, grotesque disfigurement and deterioration of health. Because the disease is contagious, victims in many countries are outcasts—not only from their communities but from their families.

Leprosy is an ancient disease that won’t go away. Some 300,000 new cases globally are reported each year, according to American Leprosy Missions (ALM). However, the disease is treatable. After almost a century of disappointing efforts to cure leprosy, doctors in the 1970s found an effective combination of medications.

Understanding an Ancient Disease

Leprosy was a common plague in biblical times. Victims were required to isolate themselves from public contact. The disease was rampant in India, Africa and the Orient as well as the Near East.

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