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International
Leprosy Congress
 The Seventeenth International
Leprosy Congress, the first since India
achieved elimination of leprosy as a public health problem was held from 30th
January to 4th February 2008 in International Convention Centre, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The Congress was attended by over two
thousand delegates including eminent scientists, country program managers and
social activists from more than sixty countries. Most importantly Persons
Affected by Leprosy (PALS) from over twenty countries also came to
participate in this conclave. WHO was one of the co-sponsors of the Congress. More>…
Post Elimination Era
New
Paradigms in Leprosy
In
the post elimination era the National Leprosy Eradication Program envisages
an expansion in the scope of the program. In keeping with the WHO Global
Strategy 2006-2010 and the Eleventh National Plan the program now calls for a
further reduction of the leprosy burden, providing quality leprosy services,
enhancing disability management and reducing stigma and discrimination
through increased advocacy. In view of the need to sustain leprosy services
for the future a shift from the campaign approach towards sustainable
integrated quality services is being put in place. The program will strive to
continue providing basic diagnosis and treatment of leprosy of better quality
along with additional appropriate services for deformity care, drug
management, awareness and advocacy.
India achieves Elimination of leprosy as a Public Health ProblemMore>…
Combating leprosy, a success story
Then and now
In 1981, when the presence of the disease was
considered to be at its peak in India, the Prevalence Rate
(PR) was 57 per ten thousand population.
In March 2007 it had fallen to 0.72. The number of patients
under treatment was about four million then, it is about eighty three
thousand now. In 1991 the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to Eliminate
Leprosy as a Public Health Problem,
defined as reaching a prevalence of less than one per ten thousand population. India achieved this goal at the
end of the year 2005. Presently only six states/UTs out of 35 (three major states and three smaller states and UTs) have a prevalence of over one, the other states have achieved elimination. No
state has a PR over two. At the district level, 487 districts out of 611 have achieved the goal. More>...
Status and activities in leprosy
Epidemiological situation
The Prevalence Rate has fallen from
0.84 in March 2006 to 0.72 at the end of March 2007. The total number of
cases under treatment has fallen from 95,151 to 82,800 in the same period.
This is the first time in history that the number has gone below the one
hundred thousand mark. The fall in PR seems to have slowed down. It is
assumed that the bulk of the operational factors are neutralized now and the PR is more reflective of the real situation. More>…
Initiatives in
the National Leprosy Eradication Program of India
Modified MDT Management
The Government has initiated
procedures for modifying the MDT management based on requisition as
per the number of patients detected in each PHC. This had been suggested by WHO. The new MDT management scheme had been started experimentally in Orissaand Kerala. More>…
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