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Leprosy cases increased by 15.7% in 2021-22, over 88k active cases | India News



AGRA: India achieved the “elimination of leprosy as a public health problem” as per World Health Organization (WHO) criteria of less than one case per 10,000 population at the national level in 2005. However, data shows the number of leprosy cases has again risen in the country.
In response to a question raised in Parliament, the data presented by the Union minister of health and family welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya, revealed that the number has increased by 15.7% in 2021-22 as compared to the previous year. From 65,147 in 2020-21, it increased to 75,394 in 2021-22. Till January 2023, there were 88,278 active cases of chronic infectious disease in the country.
As per the data, till January 2023, a maximum 17,014 cases were reported in Maharashtra, followed by Bihar (11,318), UP (10,312), Chhattisgarh (7,422), Madhya Pradesh (7,313), Jharkhand (6,184), Odisha (6,088) and West Bengal (5,012).
The minister informed: “With various interventions introduced under National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) in the past few years, the number of new leprosy cases detected was 75,394 in 2021-22 from 1,25,785 in 2014-15. The prevalence rate (PR) at the national level has decreased to 0.45 per 10,000 population in 2021-22 as compared to 0.69 per 10,000 in 2014-15.”
The minister further said, “The government has launched National Strategic Plan (NSP) and Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27) on January, 30, 2023, for zero transmission of leprosy by 2027, i.e., three years before the Sustainable Development Goal 3.3. The NSP contains implementation strategies, targets, public health approaches and overall technical guidance. The strategy and roadmap focuses on awareness for zero stigma and discrimination and roll out of a web-based portal (Nikusth 2.0) for reporting of cases.”
Leprosy, caused by bacteria, Mycobacterium leprae, primarily affects the peripheral nervous system causing skin lesions, numbness and other deformities. According to WHO, leprosy is known to occur at all ages. It is transmitted via droplets, from nose and mouth, during close and frequent contact with untreated patients.
Case detection and treatment with multi-drug treatment alone have proven insufficient to interrupt transmission, according to the WHO. “To boost prevention, with the consent of the index case,” WHO recommends “tracing household contacts along with neighbourhood and social contacts of each patient, accompanied by the administration of a single dose of rifampicin as preventive chemotherapy”.
A senior official of the health department in UP said on Sunday, “Since the 2005 declaration of elimination, the majority of the leprosy programmes were disassembled, and resources got redirected. The pandemic only aggravated the situation as there was reallocation of resources. The increase in the number of leprosy cases needs to be studied in detail.”


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