{"id":8596,"date":"2025-10-06T13:55:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T08:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=8596"},"modified":"2025-10-06T13:55:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T08:25:15","slug":"leprosy-in-india-the-road-to-a-disease-free-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=8596","title":{"rendered":"Leprosy in India: The Road to a Disease-Free Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Leprosy in India: The Road to a Disease-Free Future<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Posted On: 05 OCT 2025 11:12AM by PIB Delhi<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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  • India\u2019s leprosy prevalence rate has fallen from\u00a057.2\u00a0per 10,000 population in 1981 to just\u00a00.57\u00a0in 2025.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Among the new cases detected, percentage of child cases\u00a0has dropped from\u00a09.04%\u00a0in 2014-15 to\u00a04.68%\u00a0in 2024-25.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  • As of March 2025,\u00a031 states and 638 districts\u00a0have achieved a prevalence rate of less than 1 per 10,000 population, sustaining India\u2019s elimination status nationally.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    What is Leprosy?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Leprosy, or Hansen\u2019s disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by\u00a0bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. Infection can lead to involvement of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes.\u00a0Symptoms\u00a0include\u00a0discoloured skin patches, lack of ability to feel touch, pressure, pain, heat and cold, muscle weakness, non-healing ulcers, deformities particularly in hands, feet and face and inability to close eyes and poor vision. Leprosy is transmitted through droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases. The disease is feared because it can lead to deformity; this is also the cause of the social stigma traditionally attached to the disease. Leprosy can be\u00a0multibacillary or paucibacillary. While multibacillary leprosy shows a high density of bacilli on slit-skin smear examination, paucibacillary leprosy cases show only a few or no bacilli on slit-skin smear examination. The introduction of\u00a0Multidrug Therapy (MDT)\u00a0in 1983 in India revolutionized treatment of leprosy. MDT treatment has been provided free of cost to patients through WHO. Early diagnosis and treatment with MDT can prevent disabilities and deformities. Since the introduction of MDT, the incidence and prevalence of the disease has remarkably decreased. (World Health Organization [WHO], 2024).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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    The Situation in India Since Independence<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Decennial population census of 1951 reported\u00a013,74,000\u00a0and a prevalence rate of\u00a038.1\u00a0per 10,000 population. GOI recognized leprosy as a national health problem, and launched the\u00a0National Leprosy Control Program\u00a0in 1954-55. The program gained momentum during the Fourth Five Year Plan period (1969-1974) after it was made a centrally sponsored program, thus receiving the necessary priority and funding. The program was expanded to cover additional populations in rural and urban areas at this time. To achieve this increased coverage, the involvement of\u00a0NGOs was strengthened, and health education programs became a prominent component of the leprosy program. The government also encouraged the involvement of\u00a0NGOs in SET (Survey Education and Treatment)\u00a0activities in allotted areas through a scheme introduced in 1983. SET centers were set up in moderate\/low endemic areas and urban leprosy centers in urban areas. These centers were staffed with one paramedical worker for a population of 25,000 called a sector, and there was one non-medical supervisor for every five paramedical workers. The paramedical worker conducted a house-to-house search for leprosy patients, \u201csurveying\u201d the entire population in a cycle of two years. Diagnosis followed cumbersome slit smear techniques, with treatment of confirmed cases lasting between 10 years and lifelong treatment.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The leprosy program provided free domiciliary treatment in endemic districts through specially trained staff in fixed leprosy control units; and in moderate to low endemic districts, through mobile leprosy treatment units. Cases were treated at monthly leprosy clinics held at a fixed point in the village. This led to improved compliance and provided an opportunity for counselling each patient. Patients were encouraged to come to the clinics with their families, and this helped address the issue of stigma. Educating communities to recognize the early signs and symptoms of leprosy was an integral part of the house-to-house visits made as part of SET activities. This was probably the origin of IEC in the program. India\u2019s national leprosy control efforts began in 1955 with the\u00a0National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP)\u00a0which was a vertical programme and relied on dapsone monotherapy as The monotherapy with Dapsone was started as domiciliary treatment for leprosy cases.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    In 1982, the definitive cure for leprosy with Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) containing this bactericidal drug Rifampicin and bacteriostatic drug clofazimine besides dapsone was endorsed by WHO as the standard leprosy treatment regimen. In 1983 the introduction of MDT regimens marked the beginning of the\u00a0National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Reflecting Mahatma Gandhi\u2019s commitment to those affected by leprosy, India\u2019s public health efforts have focused not just on treatment but also on mainstreaming affected individuals into society. Early detection and free treatment are core strategies, as delayed care can cause permanent disability.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Efforts Toward Elimination<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    The NLEP is a centrally sponsored scheme under the\u00a0National Health Mission (NHM). Funds are allocated to states and UTs based on state\/UT specific Programme Implementation Plans, with a focus on local needs, priorities, and capacity. Introduction of MDT, strong political commitment, decentralized implementation, and a robust Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) strategy brought about tremendous success in leprosy control. In 1981 the leprosy prevalence rate that was\u00a057.2 \/10,000\u00a0was reduced to\u00a044.8\u00a0by March 1984 and to\u00a02.4\u00a0per 10,000 population by March 2004. The rate of\u00a0Grade II deformity\u00a0(visible deformities) among new patients in 1981 was\u00a020 percent; and by 2004, it was only\u00a01.5 percent.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The World Bank\u2019s support through two projects (1993\u20132000 and 2001\u20132004) emphasized community participation and funded IEC innovations. Partnerships with NGOs, WHO, Danida, and media agencies like BBC WST and SOMAC: Lintas enhanced outreach and message quality. Special focus was placed on women, tribal populations, and urban poor, addressing barriers to access and stigma. Integration with the general health system expanded reach, with\u00a0Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs)\u00a0and\u00a0Anganwadi Workers (AWWs)\u00a0playing key roles.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    In March 2004,\u00a017 states and 250 districts\u00a0had achieved the goal of leprosy elimination (defined as a prevalence rate of less than one per 10,000 population) and 7 states were close to the goal. With determined campaigns to search for early leprosy cases, there has been a drastic reduction in the number of cases exhibiting these forms of the disease. The goal of bringing the deformity rate down to less than 2 percent by the end of the current World Bank supported project (2001-04) had been achieved. India as a whole achieved the goal of national elimination of leprosy by December 2005. India\u2019s leprosy response under NLEP includes:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. Free diagnosis, treatment with MDT\u00a0all patients\u00a0and post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with single dose rifampicin (SDR)\u00a0provided to healthy contacts of patients under NLEP. Triple drug for both Pauci (PB) and Multibacillary (MB) patients introduced in 2025.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Early Case Detection Campaigns-(i) Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC): Door-to-door surveys, especially in high-endemic areas (ii) Focused Leprosy Campaign: Targeted survey in villages and urban areas where a case of grade II disability or child case detected (iii) Special Plan for Hard-to-Reach areas and High-risk population (iv) Healthy Contact Examination of newly detected cases (v) Retrospective Contact Tracing and Examination for new cases detected in at least last five years (vi) ABSULE for low endemic area.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    3. \u00a0Disability Prevention, Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR) and Welfare Support:\u00a0Services include patient education and counselling for providing Micro Cellular Rubber (MCR) footwear, Self Care Kits, aids and appliances such as splints, crutches etc., effective management of ulcers and leprosy reactions, and reconstructive surgeries with compensation for loss of wages of\u00a0\u20b912,000.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Capacity Building: Training of service providers -medical officers, laboratory technicians, physiotherapists, health supervisors, health workers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    5. \u00a0Community Awareness to promote voluntary reporting and stop stigma and discrimination: Sparsh leprosy awareness campaign around Anti-Leprosy Day and IEC as part of LCDC campaign are carried out annually to reduce stigma and promote early diagnosis.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    6. \u00a0Abolishing Discriminatory Laws: NLEP is encouraging States and UTs towards abolishing all existing discriminatory laws against leprosy.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    7. Enhanced Surveillance and Notification of leprosy:<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      (i) Leprosy notification by all health sectors introduced in 2025 \u2013 Government, Private, NGOs, medical colleges etc.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      (ii)\u00a0ASHA-Based Surveillance for Leprosy Suspects (ABSULS)\u00a0has strengthened case finding at the grassroots level.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. Digitalization of reporting systems-Digital reporting system Nikusth 2.0 introduced in 2023 for patient records and drug stock management.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Since 2015, constant efforts under NLEP have contributed to significant prevention of disability through early intervention and expanded surveillance mechanisms.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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        National Strategic Plan (NSP) and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-2027<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

        NLEP embarked upon developing a new strategy document to accelerate the efforts towards leprosy control and overcome the impact of the Covid pandemic. This Strategy is aligned with the\u00a0Global Leprosy Strategy 2021-2030\u00a0and the\u00a0WHO Roadmap\u00a0for\u00a0Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030, aiming to achieve interruption of transmission of leprosy by 2030.\u00a0The Strategy focuses on interruption of transmission and achieving zero indigenous cases by accelerating case detection activities in high endemic districts and sustaining a strong surveillance system in low endemic districts.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        Strategies to be adopted are: (i) acceleration of new case detection by targeted approach; (ii) Intensified surveillance systems; (iii) digitalization; (iv) introduction of advanced tools and techniques for early diagnosis; (v) provide the immediate chemoprophylaxis to all contacts of cases forthwith; (vi) introduce a potential safe and effective vaccine; (vii) introduction of surveillance of anti-microbial resistance and adverse drug reactions; (viii)post treatment surveillance of treated cases and provide them care after cure; (ix)sustain leprosy expertise and move towards multi-disease service integration; (x) improved treatment outcomes by introduction of new treatment regimes; and (xi) widespread awareness with impactful behavioural change communication methods.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

        In addition, strengthening existing partnerships, adding more partners and repealing the existing discriminatory laws against leprosy is also required. The implementation of the\u00a0National Strategic Plan\u00a0and\u00a0Roadmap for Leprosy 2023- 2027\u00a0for leprosy aims to achieve interruption of transmission at district level evidenced by zero occurrence of new child cases for at least five consecutive years. After achieving interruption of transmission, districts shall move on to achieve elimination of leprosy as a disease with zero new cases reported for at least three consecutive years. A follow up of those districts will be done side by side for verification.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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        A\u00a0\u201cwhole-of-government\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0\u201cwhole-of-society\u201d\u00a0approach, along with digital surveillance tools, and strong institutional memory, are being employed for meeting the target.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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        Major Initiatives under NLEP<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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        1. National Strategic Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-27:\u00a0The strategy document and roadmap outline the strategic interventions and lay out a clear-cut roadmap to achieve the goal of interruption in transmission of leprosy by 2027.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        2. Contact tracing\u00a0is done and\u00a0Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)\u00a0is administered to the eligible contacts of index case in order to interrupt the chain of transmission.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        3. Leprosy screening has been integrated with the activities of comprehensive primary health care under\u00a0Ayushman Bharat Yojana\u00a0for screening of people above 30 years of age.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        4. Leprosy screening has been integrated with\u00a0Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK)\u00a0and\u00a0Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK)\u00a0for screening of children (0-18 years).<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        5. Various services are being provided under the programme for\u00a0Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR)\u00a0i.e., reaction management, provision of\u00a0Microcellular Rubber (MCR)\u00a0footwear, Aids & Appliances, self-care kits etc.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        6. Nikusth 2.0: A revamped web-based ICT portal for data recording, reporting, and monitoring of leprosy activities for further strengthening services related to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of leprosy patients was launched on 30th<\/sup>\u00a0January 2023 (National Anti-Leprosy Day) by Hon\u2019ble Union Health Minister.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        7. National Anti-Microbial Resistance Surveillance for Leprosy Guidelines\u00a0were launched during National Anti-Leprosy Day 2023 for strengthening the surveillance of resistant leprosy cases.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        8. National Framework for Integration of Mental Health Services\u00a0for Leprosy patients and their families.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        9. Revised classification of\u00a0Leprosy & treatment regimen\u00a0for PB & MB Cases\u00a0in India as adopted by MoHFW, GOI is introduced by Central Leprosy Division on 17th<\/sup>\u00a0January 2024 & shall be implemented in all States\/UTs from 1st<\/sup>\u00a0April 2025. This treatment Regimen for leprosy patients will mark significant step forward in our collective efforts to eradicate leprosy in India by 2027.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        10. Implementation of tagging system for PVTGs\u00a0within\u00a0Nikusth 2.0 Portal\u00a0for total of\u00a017 states, as listed in Tribal Cell, which have been identified as having\u00a0Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)\u00a0within their states under\u00a0PM-JANMAN.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        11. Issued directions from Ministry to all states and UTs on\u00a0Notification of Leprosy.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        12. Special monitoring framework for\u00a0121 Districts\u00a0having Prevalence rate more than\u00a01 per 10,000 population<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
        13. Focused strategies for Districts having\u00a0PR >1\u00a0, High child and Disabilities.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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          Key Achievements and Program Outcomes under NLEP<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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