Lok Sabha Question No. 3229 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-12
Subject: Leprosy Eradication Programme
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Harish Dwivedi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3229 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH JULY, 2019

## LEPROSY ERADICATION PROGRAMME

## 3229. SHRI HARISH DWIVEDI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the progress in leprosy eradication programme started in the country has be slow pace and if so, the reasons therefor;

- (b) the estimated number of leprosy patients in the country, State/ UT - wise;

- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  survey  to  ascertain  the  socio - economic conditions of the leprosy patients in the country;

- (d) if so, the details and findings thereof; and

- (e) the measures being taken by the Government to eradicate leprosy from the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a):     The progress in Leprosy eradication programme in the country is not slow.

- (b): The estimated number  of  leprosy  patient s  in  the  country,  State/UT - wise  is  placed  at Annexure.

- (c) & (d):  No such survey has been conducted by the Government.

- (e):      After detecting the rising trend of Grade -II Disability (G2D) cas es of leprosy in 2015, following measures were taken to address the i sues : -

## I. Early case detection :

Three pronged strategy has been adopted for early case detection through ( i) Conduct of Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC) inhigh endemic districts, ( ii) Conduct of Focused Leprosy Campaign for hot spots in those rural and urban areas where any G2D caseis detected and (iii) Special Plan for case detection in hard to reach areas.

Contd…….

## II. To promote and encourage early case reporting :

( i) Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign s (SLAC s) have been introduced in all villages of the country to make people aware about the disease and the need for early reporting ( ii)    ASHA Based Surveillance  for  Leprosy  Suspects  (ABSULS) has beenintroduced wherein ASHAs in villages identify leprosy suspects and refer them to the health facility for final diagnos

III. Prevention of leprosy/ Interrupt transmission: Post Exposure Prophylaxis administration to contacts of new leprosy casesdetected has been introduced to contain further transmission of disease in the community .

IV. Other interventions: ( i)Investigation of each case of Grade II Disability (G2D) is bein insisted upon in order to ascertain the causes of occurrence of G2D ,( i i) Extended ASHA scheme wherein incentives are being provided to ASHA as well as any community member who refers a suspected case of leprosy to health facility after confirmation of a leprosy case. (iii) Multi Drug Therapy ( MDT )is being provided to all le prosy patients free of cost. (iv) Funds for procurement of  material  and  supplies  including  supportive  drugs  are  being  provided to  all  State/UT Governments. (v) Various  services are being  provided  under  Programme  for  Disability Prevention and Medical  Rehabi litation  (DPMR)  activities  which  cover  reaction  management, self - care  practices,  provision  of  MCR  footwear,  Aids  &  Appliances,  referral  services management of cases and reconstructive surgery at District Hospitals and Medi Colleges/Central leprosy/ NGO Institutions.

The above mentioned measureshave given the much neededimpetus to NLEP, and asa result of these, the rising trend of Grade II Disability has declined. The Grade II Disability per million which had risen to 4.48/ million population i n March, 2015 ,has been brought downto 2.65 / mill ion population by March, 2019 .

………………..

## Annexure

## The estimated number of leprosy patients in the country, State/UT -wise;

|   S. No. | State/UT          |   Leprosy Cases Total(As on March-2019) |
|----------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh    |                                    5294 |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh |                                      39 |
|        3 | Assam             |                                     940 |
|        4 | Bihar             |                                   17154 |
|        5 | Chhattisgarh      |                                    8322 |
|        6 | Goa               |                                      92 |
|        7 | Gujarat           |                                    5218 |
|        8 | Haryana           |                                     447 |
|        9 | Himachal Pradesh  |                                     150 |
|       10 | Jharkhand         |                                    4942 |
|       11 | Jammu &Kashmir    |                                     120 |
|       12 | Karnataka         |                                    2789 |
|       13 | Kerala            |                                     705 |
|       14 | Madhya Pradesh    |                                    6294 |
|       15 | Maharashtra       |                                   15299 |
|       16 | Manipur           |                                      22 |
|       17 | Meghalaya         |                                      13 |
|       18 | Mizoram           |                                       5 |
|       19 | Nagaland          |                                      35 |
|       20 | Odisha            |                                   10786 |
|       21 | Punjab            |                                     495 |
|       22 | Rajasthan         |                                    1088 |
|       23 | Sikkim            |                                      13 |
|       24 | Tamil Nadu        |                                    4793 |
|       25 | Telangana         |                                    3545 |
|       26 | Tripura           |                                      26 |
|       27 | Uttar Pradesh     |                                   20951 |
|       28 | Uttarakhand       |                                     318 |
|       29 | West Bengal       |                                    8185 |
|       30 | A & N Islands     |                                      13 |
|       31 | Chandigarh        |                                     149 |
|       32 | D &NHaveli        |                                     261 |
|       33 | Daman &Diu        |                                      27 |
|       34 | Delhi             |                                    1769 |
|       35 | Lakshadweep       |                                       3 |
|       36 | Puducherry        |                                      32 |