World IN BRIEF : WORLDWIDE : $420-Million Drive to Halt Leprosy Planned

The World Health Organization announced a drive to virtually eliminate the age-old scourge of leprosy by the end of the century. The U.N. agency projects it would cost $420 million over six years to reach its goal of less than one case per 10,000 people. The money would be used to buy anti-leprosy drugs, train health workers and organize a worldwide campaign. Leprosy, which primarily attacks the skin and nerves, disfigures and disables its sufferers. The bacteria-caused disease is contracted by close personal contact. The agency estimates that about 3.1 million people worldwide have leprosy.