The National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Elimination Programme (NTLEP) in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation has expressed concern over continued spread of leprosy, especially in rural communities.
Leprosy focal person in the ministry Sunganani Manjomo said in an interview the country recorded 274 new leprosy cases in 2025.
She said the figure was slightly lower than the 346 cases recorded in 2024.
However, cumulatively the country currently has more than 642 cases nationwide.
Manjomo said the threat of the disease remains high, especially in rural areas where limited public awareness and persistent stigma contribute to underreporting and delayed treatment.
She observed that Mchinji, Balaka, Nkhotakota, Lilongwe, Kasungu and Machinga districts remain hotspots for the disease.
“In 2025, we managed to reduce the number of cases recorded compared to 2024. The reason could be that we conducted a lot of capacity building for clinicians to identify cases early and put patients on treatment.
“However, there are still many challenges such as stigma and discrimination against patients, affecting the fight against the disease,” said Manjomo.
Director of health and social services in Balaka Chimwemwe Thambo said they are winning the battle against the disease as figures have dropped from over 50 cases registered in 2020 to about nine cases in 2025.
He attributed the drop to intensified efforts, including screening and surveillance at household level.
However, Thambo said the battle is not yet won with noticeable gaps in awareness among health workers and community members.
“Leprosy can be treated if detected early. Utale 2 is a hotspot, but with the establishment of a leprosy management home, we are able to manage the cases,” he said.
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences epidemiology professor Adamson Muula said the resurgence of the disease has been influenced by the absence of community leprosy assistants.
He said these assistants operated similarly to health surveillance assistants and were able to identify suspected cases within communities.
Muula said they were initially supported by the British Leprosy Relief Association before government later took over the programme which eventually phased out.
“Leprosy is a disease of poverty. The wealthy rarely get it. Lack of hygiene is a key contributor to this disease. On top of that, it is a hidden disease and those who have received formal medical training recently may have never seen a case.
“It only becomes obvious in severe forms where people have lost body parts such as fingers. Because of this, there is a need for intensified awareness about the disease among health surveillance assistants so that they know the signs and help in early detection and treatment,” he said.
Health rights activist Maziko Matemba called on stakeholders to reflect on strategies previously used to eliminate the disease before its resurgence.
“With decentralisation, resources are being channelled to local councils. We hope these resources will be used to contain this disease once and for all. The focus should be on hotspots so that the available resources help eliminate the disease,” he said.
Leprosy is a serious chronic infectious disease that causes disfiguring skin ulcers and nerve damage, particularly in the arms and legs.
The disease resurfaced in 2022 after the World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier declared it eliminated in the country in 1994.
According to the WHO definition, leprosy elimination is achieved when a country records fewer than one case per 10 000 people.
