BOGOTA - Colombia must urgently address the discrimination, exclusion and invisibility faced by persons affected by leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, and their families, a UN expert said in a statement at the end of her visit to the country (2 to 10 June).
"Leprosy is not only a disease of the past. It remains a present-day human rights concern," said Beatriz Miranda-Galarza, UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members.
"There will be no elimination of leprosy while structural inequality, discrimination and exclusion persist," Miranda-Galarza said. "Ending transmission requires more than medicine. It requires political leadership, historical recognition and a firm commitment to human rights."
The expert acknowledged efforts by Colombian authorities to strengthen diagnosis, treatment and surveillance, but warned that transmission persists, including through reported cases among children. She said many of those affected by leprosy still face delayed diagnosis, poverty, disability-related barriers, stigma, and discrimination in healthcare, workplaces, schools and communities.
"In many rural and historically marginalised areas, persons affected by leprosy remain effectively forgotten," the Special Rapporteur said. "People continue to travel long distances to access treatment, face stigma when seeking care, and struggle to obtain disability recognition, rehabilitation services and social protection."
Miranda-Galarza said leprosy disproportionately affects people already facing multiple forms of exclusion, including persons living in poverty, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Colombian communities, migrants, women, children, older persons and communities affected by violence and forced displacement.
She also called on Colombia to publicly recognise historical violations suffered by persons affected by leprosy and their families, including segregation, institutionalisation and decades of social exclusion.
"Recognition and historical memory are essential for justice and reconciliation," the expert said. "Persons affected by leprosy must be recognised as rights holders whose dignity, voices and lived experiences are central to any response."
Miranda-Galarza urged the Government of Colombia to adopt a comprehensive human rights-based response to leprosy, grounded in equality, accessibility, non-discrimination, social protection, mental health support, rehabilitation, public education and the meaningful participation of affected communities.
