Ethiopia

Ethiopia has the second largest population in Africa, behind Nigeria. In the last two decades there have been improvements in the standard of living, however poverty and access to services such as healthcare remains a challenge. This is particularly the case in rural areas.

Leprosy rates in Ethiopia are among the highest in the world, and 2,523 new leprosy cases were identified in 2024. Almost 1 in 10 of these cases had already developed severe visible disabilities by the time they were diagnosed, indicating late detection.

 

Our leprosy and healthcare work with TLM Ethiopia reaches some of the poorest and most marginalised people in the country. Your support helps us to

• Actively search for and find hidden cases of leprosy
• Equip healthcare workers with the skills and confidence to deliver a quality service
• Improve community knowledge of leprosy and its risks, and provide education on health-promoting behaviours
• Improve the capacity of regional leprosy referral hospitals to provide specialist leprosy services

 

In 2026, our work will also focus on increasing access to sustainable livelihoods for communities, through vocational and financial skills training.

 

Thanks to your support, key achievements in Ethiopia from last year include:

• 144 new leprosy cases were detected – 0 child cases presented with Grade-2 disability, indicating effective early intervention
• 803 members of SHGs received self-care products including bars of soap, and vaseline (for ulcer care)
• 350 one-minute radio spots and 124 TV spots aired leprosy related messaging, thus increasing national awareness
• 294 community dialogue sessions directly engaged 15,623 community members and covered topics such as leprosy symptoms, transmission and referral pathways, thus encouraging behavioural change regarding leprosy and health practices.