Rising Child Leprosy Cases Challenge India’s 2027 Goal, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• India recorded 3,832 new child leprosy cases in 2025-26, significantly exceeding the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) target of 2,000 cases.
• 37 children were diagnosed with Grade-2 disability (G2D), indicating delayed detection of the disease.
• The country aims to interrupt leprosy transmission at the district level by 2027 under the National Strategic Plan for Leprosy 2023-27.
• India reported the world’s largest number of new leprosy cases (91,783) and new child leprosy cases in 2025-26.
• The national G2D rate was 1.34 per million, above the NLEP target of less than one case per million.

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Detailed Insights:

• The NLEP defines interrupted transmission as zero new indigenous child cases for five consecutive years in a district.
• NLEP objectives include achieving zero disability among new child cases and a national G2D rate below one case per million.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers new child cases an indicator of recent transmission and G2D in children a sign of delayed diagnosis and ongoing transmission.
• India, Brazil, and Indonesia collectively accounted for 78.3% of all new leprosy cases reported globally in 2025-26.
• The Health Ministry prioritizes intensified case detection in high-endemic and hard-to-reach areas.
• NLEP strategies include active case detection, household contact surveys, focused campaigns, and addressing stigma.
• Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, is a chronic bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae, primarily affecting skin and nerves.
• The disease is curable with multidrug therapy, emphasizing the importance of early detection.
• High-burden states include Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh, with specific districts showing high prevalence rates.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP): India's national health program focused on eliminating leprosy and managing existing cases.
• Grade-2 Disability (G2D): Visible and irreversible physical impairments caused by leprosy, signifying late diagnosis.
• National Strategic Plan for Leprosy 2023-27: India's comprehensive roadmap to achieve district-level interruption of leprosy transmission by 2027.
• Multidrug Therapy (MDT): The standard and effective treatment for leprosy, involving a combination of antibiotics.