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Leprosy in the Philippines

When the National Leprosy Control Program (NLCP) was established in 1986, there were 38,570 registered leprosy patients in the country. That number translated into a Prevalence Rate (PR) of 7.2 per 10,000 Filipinos.

By the end of 1998, with 7,005 registered patients and a PR of 0.90 per 10,000 population, leprosy was no longer considered as a public health problem by both the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2004, the number was further reduced to 3,149 registered cases and a PR of 0.38 per 10,000 population.

From January 1 to December 31, 2004, a total of 2,120 new cases of leprosy were diagnosed and all were put under treatment with MDT.

The NLCP is under the supervision of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (NCDPC) of the DOH headed by Dr. Yolanda Oliveros; and the Infectious Disease Office headed by Dr. Jaime Lagahid. Dr. Leda Hernandez is Chief of the Division that handles leprosy while Dr. Francesca Gajete is the National Program Manager. - DOH Philippines