Break the chain, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• India faces challenges in meeting the targets of the National Strategic Plan (NSP) and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-2027 due to continued transmission in many areas.
• Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring India had "eliminated leprosy as a public health problem" in 2005, complacency led to a resurgence.
• In 2025, children accounted for approximately 46% of all reported cases among children globally, highlighting a significant burden in India.
• The National Leprosy Elimination Programme reported that only 148 districts achieved 'interruption of transmission' against a projected 300.
• The 2025-26 report indicated that overall incidence overshot projections by 41%, incidence among children by 91.6%, and grade-2 disability rate by 34%.

Detailed Insights:

• The national prevalence of leprosy dropped below 1 case per 10,000 people by 2005, leading to the WHO declaration.
• Post-2005, the leprosy surveillance program was integrated into the general health system, leading to reduced focus and continued transmission.
• The use of Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) shortened treatment times, which inadvertently reduced formal registration periods and masked ongoing transmission.
• Rising disability due to leprosy in the early 2010s prompted the reintroduction of active door-to-door screening efforts.
• Uneven disease burden persists, with states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Maharashtra bearing a disproportionate share.
• In 2025-26, over 70 crore people were screened in highly endemic areas, detecting 24,367 cases.
• ASHA workers flagged nearly 40 lakh suspected cases, leading to 48,027 confirmed diagnoses.
• Post-exposure prophylaxis with single-dose rifampicin was administered to 91.1% of 16.9 lakh contacts.
• The government has implemented digital surveillance and is considering the MIP vaccine to accelerate pathogen clearance in highly infectious patients.
• Significant challenges include late diagnosis due to stigma and misdiagnosis by clinical practitioners unfamiliar with leprosy's pathology.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Leprosy Elimination: Reducing the prevalence of leprosy to less than 1 case per 10,000 population.
• Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT): A combination of antibiotics used to treat leprosy, shortening treatment duration and preventing drug resistance.
• Post-Exposure Prophylaxis: Administering medication to individuals who have been exposed to an infectious disease to prevent its development.
• ASHA Workers: Accredited Social Health Activists, community health workers who act as a link between the community and the public health system.