Consensus in Brazil on the renaming of leprosy to Hansen's disease

Brazil has been at the forefront in replacing the stigmatising term 'leprosy' with the non-pejorative alternative 'Hansen's disease' ('hanseníase'), with use of the former word prohibited by law since 1995. This change followed decades of advocacy, including by civil society organisations representing people affected by the disease. A survey of people affected by Hansen's disease in Brazil found that 111/112 respondents preferred the alternative term, supporting the view that consideration of non-stigmatising terminology that respects the wishes of people affected by the disease should be part of the WHO Global Leprosy (Hansen's disease) Strategy to achieve 'zero stigma' by 2030.