The first country in the world has completely eradicated leprosy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported this on Thursday, September 19.
The Kingdom of Jordan has become completely free of leprosy, according to a statement on the website of the international organization.
This Middle Eastern state with a population of about 11.5 million people became the first in history to defeat this disease.
The WHO stressed that this is an important achievement both for Jordan and for the global health system.
For more than 20 years, not a single case of leprosy has been identified in the country.
Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.
The disease affects the skin, peripheral nervous system, mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and organs of vision.
Today, leprosy is treatable. The best results are achieved when therapy is started at the early stages of the disease. In this case, the patient can avoid disability.
