State-specific roadmaps needed for achieving leprosy-free India: Health Ministry

Nava Raipur, June 12 (IANS) Stressing the need for state-specific roadmaps to achieve a leprosy-free India, Additional Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Aradhana Patnaik, said on Friday that intensified, targeted interventions are needed to completely interrupt transmission in hotspot areas.

Speaking at the two-day Regional Workshop on Review of Programme Performance and Focused Strategic Action for Achieving Zero Transmission of Leprosy in Nava Raipur, Patnaik highlighted India’s achievements in reducing the burden of leprosy, according to an official statement.

She said the country had achieved elimination of the public health problem at the national level in 2005, cautioning that transmission persists in several endemic districts and hotspot areas, necessitating intensified, targeted interventions to completely interrupt transmission.

Highlighting the epidemiological landscape, Patnaik informed participants that five high-priority states — Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh — together account for nearly 50 per cent of India’s leprosy burden.

She noted that these states also have a substantial number of districts reporting prevalence rates above 1 case per 10,000 population, including 23 in Chhattisgarh, 21 in Jharkhand, 18 each in Maharashtra and Odisha, and 10 in Madhya Pradesh.

Underscoring the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment, she emphasized the need for periodic Leprosy Case Detection Campaigns in endemic areas, according to the statement.

She also called for strengthening contact tracing and expanding the coverage of Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) through Single-Dose Rifampicin (SDR) among eligible healthy contacts of index cases, particularly in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.

Encouraging states to increase contact screening and PEP coverage, she noted that these interventions are critical for reducing disease transmission and preventing new infections.

Patnaik emphasised that while substantial progress has been achieved, the challenge now lies in sustaining gains and accelerating action in the remaining endemic pockets.

Stressing accountability, timely decision-making, and effective programme implementation, she urged states to regularly review progress, identify implementation bottlenecks, and undertake corrective measures.

She highlighted the importance of capacity building, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities, and convergence under the National Health Mission framework to strengthen programme implementation.

She advocated leveraging Community-Based Assessment Checklists (CBAC), the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), and the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) platforms to enhance screening and early detection of leprosy.

Patnaik also guided State and District Leprosy Officers on the effective utilisation of flexi-pool resources available under the National Health Mission and called upon all participating states to maintain momentum towards achieving zero transmission.

–IANS

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