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Why did health authorities adopt the name Hansen’s disease?

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Sign reading Gandhiji Prem Nivas Leprosy Centre Titagarh conducted by Missionaries of Charity, with a crucifix above the sign on a decorated building facade. — leprosy The Gandhiji Prem Nivas is a center for people with leprosy that was established by Mother Teresa in 1958 and is run by the Missionaries of Charity in Titagarh, India.

Health authorities adopted the name Hansen’s disease as part of a deliberate effort to reduce the intense social stigma historically associated with the term "leprosy".1

For centuries, the disease was surrounded by fear and prejudice, leading to the ostracization of patients and the use of derogatory labels like "leper". By renaming the condition after the Norwegian physician Armauer Hansen, who identified the leprosy bacillus in 1873, officials sought to shift public perception and emphasize that the condition is a medically treatable illness rather than a source of shame or "living death". This change was intended to focus attention on the fact that, with modern medical advancements, the disease is curable and patients can be successfully treated.12