http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs101/en/index.html This article listed on the website of the World Health Organization has highlighted the decline of leprosy. Medications to counter the disease have been implemented since the 1940s, but the disease has slowly become more resistant to certain types of drugs. Today, we have a strong multi-drug therapy that can successfully counteracted the progression of leprosy. Initially, leprosy had been affecting millions of people around the world. Advances in science have allowed us to expand our research and capabilities to fighting diseases, and studies show that progress is being made. Over 14 million people have been cured of leprosy in the last 20 years, but this is due largely in part of the organization of the World Health Assembly (by setting the goal of eliminating leprosy) and the World Health Organization (by providing the proper MDT treatment to everyone for free). This is just one example of how advancements in the health world can be beneficial in keeping the world's population healthy. I think that it is great that long-standing illnesses like leprosy are being managed and eradicated on a global scale. This is certainly evidence that our work is coming through and, if our current efforts progress, we can see more helpful changes in international health policy.