Treatment

Hansen’s disease is treated with multidrug therapy (MDT) using a combination of antibiotics depending on the form of the disease:

• Paucibacillary form – 2 antibiotics are used at the same time, daily dapsone and rifampicin once per month
• Multibacillary form – daily clofazimine is added to rifampicin and dapsone.

Treatment usually lasts between one to two years. The illness can be cured if treatment is completed as prescribed.

In the U.S., people with the disease may be treated at special clinics run by the National Hansen’s Disease ProgramExternal. There are several federally supported outpatient clinicsExternal throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

World Health Organization (WHO) published a detailed guide to classification and treatment of leprosyExternal.