Union Health Ministry Regional Workshop on Leprosy Eradication
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare organized a two-day Regional Workshop in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to review program performance and develop focused strategic action for achieving zero transmission of leprosy in India. The workshop aimed to strengthen interventions in endemic areas and formulate state-specific roadmaps.
Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director (National Health Mission), highlighted India's remarkable progress against leprosy, noting the country attained elimination as a public health problem at the national level in 2005. However, she emphasized that transmission persists in several endemic districts and hotspot areas, requiring intensified and targeted interventions to interrupt transmission completely.
Epidemiological Landscape and Case Statistics
Dr. Sunil V. Gitte, Deputy Director General (Leprosy), provided key epidemiological data showing that 91,783 new leprosy cases were detected in India during 2025–26, with a prevalence rate of 0.56 per 10,000 population. Among newly detected cases, 4.18% were children and 2.12% presented with Grade-2 Disability at the time of diagnosis.
Five high-priority states—Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh—together account for nearly 50% of India's leprosy burden. These states have substantial numbers of districts reporting prevalence rates above one case per 10,000 population: 23 districts in Chhattisgarh, 21 in Jharkhand, 18 each in Maharashtra and Odisha, and 10 districts in Madhya Pradesh. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Chandigarh have yet to achieve leprosy elimination status at the sub-national level.
Strategic Interventions and Program Components
The workshop emphasized the need for periodic Leprosy Case Detection Campaigns in endemic areas, strengthened contact tracing, and expanded coverage of Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) through Single-Dose Rifampicin (SDR) among eligible healthy contacts of index cases. Participants discussed leveraging Community-Based Assessment Checklists (CBAC), Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) platforms for enhanced screening and early detection.
Disability prevention and rehabilitation efforts included 1,591 reconstructive surgeries performed for persons affected by leprosy, distribution of over 1.03 lakh Micro Cellular Rubber (MCR) footwear, and more than 1.25 lakh self-care kits distributed to support disability prevention and improve quality of life.
Workshop Outcomes and Participation
The workshop concluded with the formulation of state-specific action plans and renewed commitment from participating states to intensify interventions in high-endemic districts. Nearly 200 participants attended, including State and District Leprosy Officers, senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, public health experts, WHO representatives, Directors of Central and Regional Leprosy Training and Research Institutes, and development partners including the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP) and the Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation (SILF).
Interactive technical sessions featured extensive deliberations on district-specific challenges and practical solutions for improving program outcomes through evidence-based microplanning, strengthened surveillance, enhanced community participation, stigma reduction, social and behavior change communication, and improved treatment compliance.