Leprosy in India, Types and Recent Initiatives

Learn about leprosy in India, its causes, symptoms, prevalence, government initiatives, and efforts to eliminate the disease and reduce social stigma.

Table of Contents

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.