Leprosy in India, Types and Recent Initiatives

Context: The Union Health Ministry is shifting towards a targeted approach to controlling leprosy in India after achieving the elimination status as a public health problem at the national level in 2005.

About Leprosy

• Affected Areas: Leprosy impacts the skin, peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and eyes.
• Transmission: Spread through droplets from the nose and mouth, typically via close contact with untreated individuals.
• Treatment: Leprosy is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT).

Types of Leprosy

• Pauci-Bacillary (PB): Fewer bacteria are visible, and no advanced disease signs are observed in biopsies.
• Multibacillary (MB): Bacteria are visible, and biopsies may show signs of advanced disease.

Leprosy Cases in India

• India achieved leprosy elimination as a public health problem in 2005, as per WHO criteria (less than 1 case per 10,000 people).
• However, some states and districts still report high prevalence rates, requiring focused interventions.
• High-Prevalence States: Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra & Odisha.

Recent Initiatives

• National Strategic Plan (NSP) & Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27): Aims to achieve zero transmission by 2027.
• National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP): A centrally sponsored scheme under the National Health Mission.
• Nikusth 2.0 Portal: An integrated platform for managing leprosy cases.

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