IDEA is the first international advocacy organization whose leadership is primarily made up of individuals who have personally faced the challenges of leprosy, also called Hansen’s disease. Established in 1994, IDEA has 20,000 members in more than 30 countries, spanning five continents. IDEA has branches in 19 countries Angola, Brazil, P.R. China, D.R. Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Japan, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, South Korea, Sudan, Taiwan, and the U.S.A.
IDEA is dedicated to the principle that individuals whose lives have been challenged by leprosy have the right to full and equal participation in society, including the right to equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity without discrimination.
