On 19 September 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Jordan as the first country to eliminate leprosy. This is an important achievement in global health.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Jordan for its efforts to stop the disease. Jordan has not had any local cases of leprosy in over 20 years, confirmed by an independent assessment. However, leprosy is still found in more than 120 countries, with over 200,000 new cases reported each year.
