This article details India's ongoing efforts to combat leprosy, even after achieving national elimination status. Here's a breakdown of the key points for UPSC CSE preparation:
India's Leprosy Control Efforts:
National Elimination Status (2005): India achieved the WHO's criteria for leprosy elimination as a public health problem (less than 1 case per 10,000 population) at the national level in 2005.
Targeted Approach: The focus has shifted to a more targeted approach, concentrating on five states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha) and 124 districts with the highest prevalence. This highlights the uneven distribution of the disease within the country.
New Treatment Regimen: A three-drug regimen has replaced the previous two-drug regimen for Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases.
This aims to improve treatment efficacy and prevent drug resistance.
Goal of Zero Transmission by 2027: India aims to achieve zero leprosy transmission by 2027, ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target.
National Strategic Plan (NSP) and Roadmap (2023-27):
Key Components: The NSP and Roadmap outline strategies, targets, public health approaches, and technical guidance for the leprosy program.
Focus Areas: The strategy emphasizes:
Awareness campaigns to combat stigma and discrimination.
Early case detection.
Prophylaxis (post-exposure prevention) to prevent transmission.
Rollout of a web-based information portal (Nikusth 2.0) for case reporting.
Progress and Challenges:
Decline in New Cases: New leprosy cases have decreased significantly, from 125,785 in 2014-15 to 75,394 in 2021-22.
This is a substantial reduction but still represents a significant portion of global cases.
Global Burden: Leprosy remains a neglected tropical disease (NTD) affecting over 120 countries, with around 200,000 new cases annually.
India's Contribution to Global Cases: India accounts for a significant portion (53.6% in 2021-22) of new leprosy cases globally, highlighting the need for continued efforts.
Endemic Areas: Despite national elimination, some districts within states/UTs still have endemic leprosy, requiring focused interventions.
Global Leprosy Situation:
Global Elimination (2000): Global elimination of leprosy as a public health problem was achieved in 2000.
Continued Reporting: Brazil, India, and Indonesia still report a large number of cases. Several other countries also report a significant number of new cases.
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