MARKET STRUCTURE · CHILE
WHO verification of leprosy elimination in Chile
Change
On 4 March 2026, WHO, together with PAHO, officially verified Chile as having eliminated leprosy disease, making it the first country in the Americas to receive this verification.
Why it matters
Chile’s last locally acquired leprosy case was detected in 1993, and Chile has not reported any locally acquired case for more than 30 years. Leprosy has remained a notifiable condition, monitored through mandatory reporting, integrated surveillance, and continuous clinical readiness across the health system. At the request of Chile’s Ministry of Health, PAHO and WHO convened an independent expert panel in 2025 to assess whether elimination had been achieved and could be sustained over time. The panel reviewed epidemiological data, surveillance mechanisms, case management protocols, and sustainability plans, and confirmed the absence of local transmission while validating capacity to detect and respond to future cases occurring among the non-autochthonous population. Between 2012 and 2023, Chile reported 47 cases nationwide, none of which were locally acquired.
Implications
- • Chile is officially verified by WHO as having eliminated leprosy disease.
- • Leprosy remains a notifiable condition in Chile with mandatory reporting, integrated surveillance, and continuous clinical readiness.
- • The verification included an independent expert panel assessment of epidemiological data, surveillance mechanisms, case management protocols, and sustainability plans.
Who is affected
- • Public health surveillance authorities
- • Healthcare systems and clinicians responsible for diagnosis and case management
- • People affected by leprosy, including those living with chronic disabilities
Source
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