Sri Lanka, Jan. 21 -- A total of 1,282 new leprosy cases were reported in Sri Lanka in 2025, with nearly 10 per cent of the patients being children under the age of 15, health authorities said today.

Director of the Leprosy Eradication Campaign at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Yasoma Weerasekara, addressing a media briefing to mark World Leprosy Day on January 25, said that 123 of the newly identified patients were children below 15 years of age.

Dr. Weerasekara said that about eight per cent of new and relapsed patients are already disabled by the time they seek treatment. She said special measures are being implemented to prevent leprosy patients from developing disabilities through early detection and timely medical care.

She added th...