For thousands of years, leprosy was thought to be a curse of the gods, a punishment for sin, or a hereditary condition. Since ancient Egyptian times, the word leprosy has invoked disturbing imagery of diseased and disfigured bodies.

Leprosy, also hnown as Hansen's disease, is a neglected chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium Leprae. Leprosy has a long incubation period and symptoms may appear between 2 and 20 years after infection. Leprosy can occur from early infancy to very old age. The disease mainly affects the shin, the peripheral nerves, the mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes.

Human Rights Council Thirty-eighth session. 18 June–6 July 2018. Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

The Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy will convene two working groups in 2018. The Leprosy Research Agenda Working Group will develop an aligned research agenda for current and potential future innovations in diagnostics, strategies, and interventions to contribute to zero leprosy.