Dr. Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen, 1841~1912, was a Norwegian physician, who in 1873, identified the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, which was responsible for leprosy.

The diagnosis and treatment of leprosy are fairly easy. However, it tends to be prominent in underserved and marginalized communities without adequate living conditions, access to clean water, and shortages of food. According to reports published by the World Health Organization (WHO), “the global registered prevalence of leprosy at the end of the first quarter of 2013 stood at 189,018 cases, while the number of new cases detected during 2012 was 232,857 (excluding the small number of cases in Europe).” WHO recognized it as a health problem and has been implementing multidrug therapy services free of charge to all patients worldwide since 1995.

The fact is that people with leprosy live in isolation from the rest of their communities. The sad truth is that people with leprosy and their families are marginalized by their own people. World Join Us ministry seeks to share God’s love and compassion with those afflicted with the physical and emotional pain caused by leprosy. The ministry reaches out to leprosy patients, their families, and children by providing medicine, housing, and education in these marginalized communities which do not receive much help from the outside.