Kazakhstan hasn't registered a new case of leprosy for eight years.

January 23, 2026

January 25 is World Leprosy Day. Today, Kazakhstan is seeing a decline in the incidence of leprosy (Hansen's disease). There are no children or adolescents affected. Leprosy affects exclusively older people, which is typical in dying outbreaks of this infection.

The decline in leprosy incidence in the country has been steady. Recently, sporadic cases of leprosy have continued to be registered; three have been identified over the past 12 years, the last in 2017. As of the beginning of 2026, there are 212 patients and 224 contacts living in Kazakhstan.

- Leprosy has been virtually eliminated in our country. Kazakhstan is considered a low-burden country. Disease prevention is now a priority worldwide. Secondary prevention, treatment of the consequences (complications) of leprosy, and prevention of relapse remain a priority, notes Roza Kuanyshbekova, Director of the Kazakh Scientific Center for Dermatology and Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Treatment for leprosy in Kazakhstan began almost a hundred years ago, in 1929, when the USSR Council of People's Commissars issued a decree establishing a leprosarium in the Kazakh SSR. Today, the Kazakh Republican Leprosarium is a specialized medical facility that provides not only specific treatment but also rehabilitation for its patients. The leprosarium is located in the Kyzylorda region and has two dispensaries. In addition to specialized treatment, patients receive all necessary medical care (surgical, ophthalmological, dental, therapeutic, etc.) and rehabilitation.

- The leprosarium is not a place for isolating leprosy patients. Patients registered with the Kazakh National Leprosarium have the opportunity to receive treatment, health, and rehabilitation services at other medical facilities across the country. Among these patients are people with disabilities who require ongoing medical care, the homeless, abandoned, those without relatives or a permanent abode, and those in need of social shelter. Lifelong follow-up of leprosy patients is necessary due to the risk of relapse, says Moldagali Seytaliev, Chief Physician of the Kazakh National Leprosarium.

Throughout the history of leprosy treatment, doctors in the country have employed various tactics. Initially, measures were primarily aimed at identifying and isolating patients. Later, chemotherapy became the primary focus. Currently, leprosy prevention—preventing disability and rehabilitating patients—is a pressing issue.

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