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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Transmission Interruption of Leprosy in the Philippines: An Update on the Current Program Priorities and Interventions

by
Bayo Segun Fatunmbi
1,*,
Alexander Yabes Taruc
1,*,
Kazim Hizbullah Sanikullah
2,
Anna Marie Celina Garfin
3,
Jose Gerard Belimac
3,
Almira Cruz Gatchalian
3,
Ma. Regina De Jesus Valdez
3,
Carmel Angela Buado
3,
Kim Patrick Tejano
3,
Abelaine Venida-Tablizo
4,
Frederica Veronica Marquez-Protacio
4,
Belen L. Dofitas
4,
Arturo Cunanan, Jr.
5,
Reginald Alain R. Santos
6,
Francesca Cando Gajete
7,
Concepcion P. Dumawat
8,
Eugene Caccam
8,
Eunyoung Ko
1 and
Rui Paulo de Jesus
1
1
World Health Organization—Philippine Country Office, Manila City 1003, Philippines
2
World Health Organization—Western Pacific Regional Office, Manila City 1000, Philippines
3
Department of Health, Manila City 1003, Philippines
4
Leprosy Interest Group, Philippine Dermatological Society, Quezon City 1001, Philippines
5
Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital Palawan, Culion, Palawan 5315, Philippines
6
Philippine Leprosy Mission, Quezon City 1003, Philippines
7
International Leprosy Association, Greenville, SC 29601, USA
8
Culion Foundation Inc., Quezon City 1103, Philippines
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11(7), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11070192
Submission received: 21 May 2026 / Revised: 27 June 2026 / Accepted: 28 June 2026 / Published: 9 July 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surveillance of Eliminated and Near-Eliminated Infectious Disease in the Western Pacific Region)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The Philippines achieved World Health Organization (WHO) certification for the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in 1998. Despite this milestone, new cases continue to be reported each year, highlighting the need for sustained surveillance and interventions to achieve zero transmission. This paper provides an update on the country’s progress toward interruption of leprosy transmission using national surveillance data and programmatic reports from 2020–2024. Quantitative data were obtained from the Department of Health (DOH) Field Health Services Information System (FHSIS), while policy and programmatic information were drawn from national reports, WHO guidance, and implementation reviews. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine trends in prevalence, case detection rates (CDRs), and age-sex distribution patterns to identify high-risk groups. Leprosy prevalence declined from 0.41 per 10,000 population in 2020 to 0.11 in 2024, remaining below the WHO elimination threshold. The CDR increased from 0.45 in 2022 to 1.17 per 100,000 in 2024, indicating recovery of active surveillance after COVID-19-related disruptions. Most newly detected cases occurred among adults aged 20–59 years (72%), although continued detection among children aged 0–14 years (6–7%) suggests ongoing transmission in selected endemic areas. Key program strengths include policy integration and WHO-supported surveillance initiatives, while major barriers include stigma, uneven local implementation, and limited access to rehabilitation. The Philippines has maintained low national prevalence while strengthening efforts toward transmission interruption. Continued investment in surveillance, contact tracing, stigma reduction, and integrated neglected tropical disease (NTD) services will be essential to achieving zero transmission, zero disability, and zero discrimination by 2030.
Keywords: leprosy; transmission interruption; Philippines; World Health Organization; neglected tropical diseases; public health surveillance leprosy; transmission interruption; Philippines; World Health Organization; neglected tropical diseases; public health surveillance

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Fatunmbi, B.S.; Taruc, A.Y.; Sanikullah, K.H.; Garfin, A.M.C.; Belimac, J.G.; Gatchalian, A.C.; Valdez, M.R.D.J.; Buado, C.A.; Tejano, K.P.; Venida-Tablizo, A.; et al. Transmission Interruption of Leprosy in the Philippines: An Update on the Current Program Priorities and Interventions. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11, 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11070192

AMA Style

Fatunmbi BS, Taruc AY, Sanikullah KH, Garfin AMC, Belimac JG, Gatchalian AC, Valdez MRDJ, Buado CA, Tejano KP, Venida-Tablizo A, et al. Transmission Interruption of Leprosy in the Philippines: An Update on the Current Program Priorities and Interventions. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2026; 11(7):192. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11070192

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fatunmbi, Bayo Segun, Alexander Yabes Taruc, Kazim Hizbullah Sanikullah, Anna Marie Celina Garfin, Jose Gerard Belimac, Almira Cruz Gatchalian, Ma. Regina De Jesus Valdez, Carmel Angela Buado, Kim Patrick Tejano, Abelaine Venida-Tablizo, and et al. 2026. "Transmission Interruption of Leprosy in the Philippines: An Update on the Current Program Priorities and Interventions" Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 11, no. 7: 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11070192

APA Style

Fatunmbi, B. S., Taruc, A. Y., Sanikullah, K. H., Garfin, A. M. C., Belimac, J. G., Gatchalian, A. C., Valdez, M. R. D. J., Buado, C. A., Tejano, K. P., Venida-Tablizo, A., Marquez-Protacio, F. V., Dofitas, B. L., Cunanan, A., Jr., Santos, R. A. R., Gajete, F. C., Dumawat, C. P., Caccam, E., Ko, E., & de Jesus, R. P. (2026). Transmission Interruption of Leprosy in the Philippines: An Update on the Current Program Priorities and Interventions. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 11(7), 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11070192

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