The Leprosy Mission was founded in 1874 by Irish missionary Wellesley Bailey.
While on a mission in India he came across a group of people sitting in isolation under a tree - they had been banished from their village because of their leprosy. He was deeply touched by what he saw and returned home determined to make a difference. Shortly afterwards, the Leprosy Mission was born.
In the early days of the Mission the focus was on treating the medical consequences of the disease. But in the early 1990s it became increasingly apparent that leprosy is as much a social disease as a medical one, and that the 'cure' needed to extend far beyond the initial treatment and address the poverty, stigma and discrimination that too often accompany the disease.
Although detection, diagnosis and treatment are still fundamental to our mission, our programmes and services have evolved over time to address both the causes and consequences of the disease. Today our work is diverse and includes community development, sustainable livelihoods, education and vocational training, advocacy, and emergency response and preparedness.
'The Mission has been born and cradled in prayer. It has been brought up on prayer; it has been nourished on prayer; and prayer has been at the bottom of its success since the first moments of its life.' Wellesley Bailey, Founder of the Leprosy Mission
For more information visit the international website: www.leprosymission.org
