Amman, Sep 19 : The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared Jordan as the first country in the world to eliminate leprosy, marking a significant milestone in global public health efforts.

'WHO congratulates Jordan on this impressive milestone,' said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

'Leprosy has afflicted humanity for millennia, but country-by-country we are stopping transmission and freeing individuals, families, and communities from its suffering and stigma,' he added.

The WHO said that Jordan has not reported any autochthonous cases of leprosy for over two decades. The global health body attributed the success to 'strong political commitment and effective public health strategies'.

The WHO made the declaration after commissioning an independent team to assess this situation, following the Ministry of Health's interest in verifying the elimination of leprosy.

'Jordan's elimination of this age-old disease is a historic milestone in public health and a huge success for efforts to eliminate leprosy globally,' said Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia who heads WHO's Global Leprosy Programme.

Wazed noted that more than just a disease, leprosy "is also a fight against stigma and psychological and socio-economic harm".

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae which can spread via droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases.

It is also known as Hansen's disease, and majorly affects the skin, peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract, and eyes.

Leprosy is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT), and early diagnosis and treatment can prevent disability.

The neglected tropical disease (NTD) continues to occur in more than 120 countries. More than 200,000 new cases are reported every year, the WHO said.

India, Brazil, and Indonesia reported more than 10,000 new cases of leprosy, as per 2019 data.

About 13 other countries -- Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, and the United Republic of Tanzania -- each reported 1000-10,000 new cases.

/IANS