A/HRC/35/38 discrimination and depriving persons affected by leprosy and their family members of the enjoyment of their fundamental human rights and dignity and reintegration into society. 3. With the introduction of multidrug therapy in the late 1980s, there is now an effective cure for leprosy. Since 1995, WHO has been supplying multidrug therapy free of charge to persons affected by leprosy in all endemic countries. Availability of drugs has allowed countries to focus their efforts on eliminating leprosy (defined as a prevalence rate of less than 1 case per 10,000 population) as a public health problem and on further reducing the leprosy burden post-elimination. Treatment with standard WHO multidrug therapy renders patients non-infectious within a few days. Since the mid-1980s, the global prevalence of leprosy has decreased from more than 5 million to less than 200,000 in 2015, and some 16 million people have been cured of the disease since the introduction of multidrug therapy. Nonetheless, although leprosy is no longer a major public health problem in most countries today, several millions of people affected by the disease worldwide continue to experience stigmatization and discrimination. 4. Within the international human rights system, concern regarding discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members was initially expressed by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights at its fifty-sixth session in 2004. In its resolution 2004/12, the Sub-Commission requested its member, Yozo Yokota, to prepare a preliminary working paper on the issue 1 to be submitted to the Sub-Commission at its fifty-seventh session. In the paper, persisting discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members was highlighted, including in relation to employment, marriage, education, use of public places, such as hotels and restaurants, and means of transportation. 5. The Sub-Commission’s work was discontinued owing to the reform of the United Nations human rights system in 2006. In 2008, the Human Rights Council took up the issue and noted the work already done by the Commission on Human Rights and the SubCommission. In its resolution 8/13, the Council requested OHCHR to collect information on the measures taken by Governments to eliminate discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members and to hold a meeting to exchange views among relevant actors, including Governments, observers of the United Nations, relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and programmes, NGOs, scientists, medical experts as well as representatives of persons affected by leprosy and their family members. In the same resolution, the Council requested the Advisory Committee to examine the report prepared by OHCHR and to formulate a draft set of principles and guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members and to submit it to the Council for consideration by September 2009. 6. At its third session in August 2009, the Advisory Committee adopted the draft set of principles and guidelines, taking into account the report of OHCHR, 2 and submitted it to the Human Rights Council for consideration at its twelfth session in September 2009. In its resolution 12/7, the Council again requested OHCHR to collect the views of relevant actors including Governments, observers of the United Nations, relevant United Nations bodies, specialized agencies and funds and programmes, NGOs, scientists and medical experts, as well as representatives of persons affected by leprosy and their family members, on the draft principles and guidelines, and to make those views available to the Advisory Committee. 7. The Advisory Committee adopted the revised draft set of principles and guidelines at its fifth session in August 2010, and submitted it to the Human Rights Council at its fifteenth session in September 2010.3 In its resolution 15/10, the Council took note with appreciation of the revised draft and invited the General Assembly to consider, as appropriate, the issue of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, including possible ways to promote the principles and guidelines. 8. In December 2010, the General Assembly adopted resolution 65/215, in which it took note with appreciation of the principles and guidelines and encouraged Governments, 1 2 3 2 E/CN.4/2005/2-E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/48, p. 35. A/HRC/10/62. A/HRC/15/30, annex.