Every now and then, the world reaches a turning point where what people decide to do really does change the course of history. These moments are rarer than many of us would like to believe, requiring a range of factors to converge at once in a ‘perfect storm’ of opportunity.
These aren’t the ‘eureka!’ moments of a scientific breakthrough: they happen years later, when that scientific breakthrough has been tested and trialled, tweaked and applied, and is finally registered and ready to be used.
They are the moments when the solutions to problems not only clear but available. Daylight can finally be glimpsed at the end of the tunnel and hope is easier to grasp a hold of.
And we’re entering into one of those moments right now.
Leprosy—a disease that most people think belongs in the past—is still very real today. Every year, more than 200,000 people are diagnosed, and thousands of them are children. But here’s the remarkable thing: we actually have what it takes to stop this disease in its tracks.
On 30 September, Leprosy Mission Australia’s Giving Day is your chance to be part of something truly historic.
Why focus on children?
When a child is diagnosed with leprosy, it tells us something important: transmission is still happening. It means the disease is not just lingering in hidden corners of history—it’s alive in the present, and still threatening the most vulnerable.
Stopping childhood leprosy is about more than just medicine. It’s about protecting futures. It’s proof that the chain of transmission is being broken, that communities are getting stronger, and that stigma is losing its grip.
And here’s the good news: we already have the tools we need. Early diagnosis. Free treatment. Contact tracing. Education campaigns that bring the disease out of the shadows.
What’s needed now is scale, reach and the willingness of people like you and me to fuel it.
A rare global goal we can actually achieve
So many global challenges feel endless. Climate change. Inequality. Conflict. They are critical, but they stretch out in front of us like marathon paths with no finish line in sight.
But this? Ending childhood leprosy by 2035? This is a race we can win.
It’s not a vague hope. It’s a concrete, measurable goal. If we act now, this is one of those rare opportunities where we could look back—even in just five short years—and say, we were the generation that stopped this disease for good.
Why your gift on 30 September matters
On Giving Day, every donation is part of something bigger:
- Training local health workers and strengthening whole communities.
- Screening children so the disease is caught early.
- Providing free treatment so no one is left behind.
- Supporting families to push through stigma.
Every gift has a ripple effect. It doesn’t just change one life; it shifts the trajectory of entire families and neighbourhoods.
Be part of making history
30 September isn’t just another date on the calendar. It’s a chance to join in a story that will be told for generations: the story of how leprosy finally came to an end.
Let’s make childhood leprosy history. Let’s be the generation that chose to act when the world had the chance.
Because this time, hope isn’t theoretical. It’s real. It’s ready. And it’s waiting for us to take hold of it.
To learn more on Giving Day, head to: https://endleprosy.org/
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