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Stop the Stigma

Help us reach 1,000 actions to confront stigma and stand up for dignity, inclusion, and justice.
Donate Now

Yes – Leprosy is still a thing.

Every Action Counts

One person makes a difference. One thousand make a movement.
1019
130
discriminatory laws
To represent the 130+ discriminatory laws still in place.
365
days of the year
One action for every day stigma affects someone’s life in a year. Stigma doesn’t take days off.
548
daily diagnoses
Based on global estimates (200,000 cases per year), around 548 people are diagnosed with leprosy every day.
1,000
target reached
Not a statistic — a signal. 1,000 people choosing to stand up to stigma.

Three Ways Your Actions Create Impact

Every action — giving or sharing — moves us closer to 1,000 actions.

Give

ONE DONATION = ONE ACTION
Supports program work focused on treatment, mental health support, and empowerment.
Find out more about Giving

Share

ONE SHARE = ONE ACTION
Helps spread awareness and challenge fear, silence, and outdated beliefs.
Find out more about Sharing

Gift

ONE GIFT = ONE ACTION
Funds treatment, education, and awareness to help prevent stigma before it takes root.
Find out more about Gifting
Different ways to act. One decision to stand up.

Stigma is still a thing.

More than 200,000 people are diagnosed with leprosy every year — and millions continue to face isolation, discrimination, and legal barriers long after they are cured. In more than 20 countries, outdated laws still restrict education, public services, employment, marriage, and even citizenship for people affected by leprosy.

THIS ISN’T ABOUT A DISEASE.

IT’S ABOUT STIGMA.

Stigma affects families like Savesh and Chinta. Savesh was excluded from school, community life, and opportunity — not because the leprosy couldn’t be treated, but because stigma followed the diagnosis.

LEPROSY CAN BE CURED.

STIGMA STOPS PEOPLE FROM LIVING A FULL LIFE.

WATCH SAVESH’S STORY

Gift

Turn awareness into lasting change

Inspired by Savesh and Chinta’s story, these advocacy-focused gifts support education, community awareness, and early intervention — confronting stigma at its roots. Each gift purchased counts as one meaningful action toward ending stigma and is added to our Movement Meter.

Teach Children About Leprosy

Misinformation about leprosy is often learned early and passed from one generation to the next. Your gift helps teach school children how to recognize leprosy, why early treatment matters and why no one affected should be feared or excluded.

$22

Add to cart

Break Leprosy Stigma

Fear and misinformation can cause people affected by leprosy to hide their symptoms, delay treatment and face rejection. Your gift helps educate an entire community about the signs of leprosy, why early treatment matters and why no one affected should be feared or excluded.

$42

Add to cart

Educate A Child

Stigma and illness often push children out of school. Your gift helps a child like Savesh stay in the classroom by providing uniforms, books, and supplies — supporting education, confidence, and a future shaped by opportunity rather than exclusion.

$116

Add to cart

Leprosy Cure and Care

Leprosy is curable, but without timely treatment, it can cause permanent nerve damage and disability. Your gift provides one person with diagnosis, multidrug therapy and follow-up care to cure the disease and protect their future.

$525

Add to cart

A curable disease can still cost someone their job, marriage, or child.

Give

It only takes one person to change the story.

Your donation helps provide medical treatment, mental health support, and reintegration programs — ensuring people affected by leprosy aren’t just cured, but welcomed, accepted, and included.
WILL YOU BE THE ONE?
DONATE NOW

Share

Stigma survives in silence.
Truth spreads when people speak up.

We’ve pinned this post across our social platforms. Sharing it helps correct misinformation, challenge stereotypes, and create understanding where fear has existed for generations.
SHARE THIS POST:

The Movement
So Far

Every donation. Every share. Every advocacy gift.
Each one helps confront stigma.

About Effect Hope

For more than 130 years, Effect Hope has worked alongside global partners to improve access to care for neglected tropical diseases — and challenge the stigma that denies people care, dignity, and belonging.

PARTNERS &
GLOBAL SOLIDARITY

We work alongside trusted global partners to confront stigma and advance equity worldwide.

Giving. Sharing. Standing Up.

Leprosy is just one of 21 neglected tropical diseases (NTD) and part of a broader issue.