Lok Sabha Question No. 3254 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-05
Subject: National Leprosy Eradication Programme
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Manoj Kishorbhai Kotak

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3254 ANSWERED ON 05.08.2022

## NATIONAL LEPROSY ERADICATION PROGRAMME

## 3254:   SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE SHRI MANOJ KOTAK

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  initiating  any  steps  for  complete  eradication  of  leprosy  under National  Leprosy  Eradication  Programme  (NLEP)  keeping  in  view  of  the  fact  that  1,25,000 leprosy patients are reported each year with additional 50,000 to 1,00,000 taking treatment in private clinics across the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to supply more blister pack to all multi-bacillary leprosy cases in addition to 12 packs provided monthly for a year for complete eradication of Leprosy; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a)  &  (b):  The  Government  is  implementing  the  National  Leprosy  Eradication  Programme (NLEP) with the goal of making India leprosy free.  NLEP is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the umbrella of National Health Mission (NHM). This programme is implemented in all the States/UTs.

The major focus of the Programme is to detect the cases of leprosy at  an  early  stage  and  to provide complete treatment, free of cost, in order to prevent the occurrence of disability.

India has achieved the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem as per WHO criteria of less  than  1  case  per  10,000  population  at  the  National  level  in  2005.  However,  there  are  few districts within States where leprosy is still endemic.

As per Monthly Progress Report of Central  Leprosy  Division,  Directorate  General  of  Health Services (as on 31 st May 2022), 72,914 leprosy patients, as informed by the States/UTs,  are under treatment in the country.

Major initiatives under NLEP are as follows:

1. Leprosy Case Detections Campaign (LCDC) in high endemic districts.
2. Focused Leprosy Campaign (FLC) in low endemic districts for case detection.
3. Special plans for Hard-to-Reach areas for early case detection and treatment.
4. ASHA Based Surveillance for Leprosy Suspects (ABSULS).
5. Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign on 30th January every year.
6. Active Case Detection and Surveillance both in rural and urban areas.
7. Convergence of  leprosy  screening  under  Rashtriya  Bal  Swasthya  Karyakram  (RBSK) for  screening  of  children  (0-18  years)  and  under  Ayushman  Bharat  for  screening  of people above 30 years of age.
8. Monitoring  of  the  programme  by  Joint  Monitoring  Investigation  and  Advisory  Group (JMIAG).
9. Certificate, award and performance linked financial incentive are given to the districts for achieving leprosy elimination.
10. Contact  tracing  is  done  and  Post  Exposure  Prophylaxis  (PEP)  with  Single  dose  of Rifampicin (SDR) given to the eligible contacts of index case in order to interrupt the chain of transmission.

(c) & (d):  12 packs of MDT (Multi Drug Therapy) blister packs are given to Multi Bacillary Leprosy cases as per the Standard Treatment Protocol.

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