India’s Approach to Combat Leprosy Transmission
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News: The Indian government has adopted a targeted approach to contain leprosy transmission in five states—Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha where the disease has the highest prevalence.

About National Strategic Plan (NSP) & Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27)

  • It was launched on January 30, 2023, to achieve zero leprosy transmission by 2027, ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) timeline.
  • The NSP includes:
    • Year-wise targets and implementation strategies.
    • Public health interventions for awareness and stigma reduction.
    • Promotion of early case detection and prophylaxis (post-exposure preventive treatment).
    • Nikusth 2.0: A web-based information portal for case reporting.

About Targeted Strategy for Containment

  • India aims to curb leprosy transmission through a targeted approach in five states and 124 districts.
  • The five states with the highest prevalence are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha.
  • The initiative comes after achieving leprosy elimination as a public health problem at the national level in 2005 (less than 1 case per 10,000 population).
  • The government has also approved a three-drug regimen for Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases, replacing the previous two-drug regimen.
  • The treatment duration remains six months, aimed at stopping transmission at the subnational level by 2027.

About  Leprosy

  • Caused by: Mycobacterium leprae.
  • Mode of Transmission: Airborne droplets from close and frequent contact with untreated cases.
  • Symptoms:
    • Pale or reddish skin patches with loss of sensation.
    • Enlarged peripheral nerves leading to muscle weakness.
    • Microscopic detection of bacilli in skin smears.
  • Types of Leprosy:
    • Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases (fewer bacteria).
    • Multibacillary (MB) cases (more severe, higher bacterial load).

WHO’s Support and Global Efforts

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) supports India’s National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP).
  • WHO provides free Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) for leprosy treatment.
  • Leprosy elimination (prevalence less than 1 per 10,000 population) was achieved globally by 2000 and in most countries by 2010. However, new cases continue to emerge.

Declining Leprosy Cases in India

  • India accounts for 52% of the world’s new leprosy cases.
  • New case detections have significantly dropped:
    • 2014-15: 1,25,785 cases.
    • 2021-22: 75,394 cases.
  • Despite overall reduction, certain districts remain endemic.

Global Leprosy Scenario

  • Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) still affecting over 120 countries.
  • Around 200,000 new cases are reported globally each year.
  • Major contributors (2023 data):
    • India, Brazil, and Indonesia (over 10,000 new cases annually).
    • 12 other countries, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Nepal, report between 1,000–10,000 cases annually.

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