India Achieved Elimination of Leprosy
in December 2005
The World Health Assembly in May 1991 adopted a resolution for global leprosy elimination by the year 2000. In the year 2001, after the global elimination was achieved, a target was reset for the remaining 15 countries to achieve elimination on national basis by December, 2005. India was one of these countries. The National Health Policy 2002 also set the goal of leprosy elimination in India by the year 2005.
The National Leprosy Eradication Programme took up the challenge with the active support of the State/ UT Governments and dedicated partners in the World Health Organisation, the International Federation of Anti Leprosy Associations (ILEP), the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation & the Nippon Foundation, NOVARTIS, DANLEP (1986-2003) and the World Bank (1993-2004).
As a result of the hard work and meticulously planned and executed activities, the country has achieved the goal of elimination of leprosy as a public health problem, defined as less than 1 case per 10,000 population, at the National Level in the month of December, 2005. As on 31st December 2005, Prevalence Rate recorded in the country was 0.95/10,000 population.
The year 2005-06 started with 1.49 lakh leprosy cases on record as on 1st April 2005 giving Prevalence Rate (PR) of 1.34 cases per 10,000 population.
As on 31st December 2005, leprosy cases on record comes down to 1.07 lakh giving Prevalence Rate of 0.95 cases per 10,000 population. Less than 1 case per 10,000 population is considered as the level of elimination as a public health problem.
New Leprosy Cases Detected during the year 2004-05 were 2.60 lakh giving the Annual New Case Detection Rate (ANCDR) of 2.34 per 10,000 population.
New Cases Detected between April to December 2005 were 1.27 lakh which gives a projected ANCDR of 1.50 per 10,000 population during 2005-06. This shows a reduction of 35% in New Case Detection over the previous year.
Twenty Four States/ UTs had achieved the elimination level by March 2005. These were Nagaland, Haryana, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tripura, Punjab, Sikkim, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Manipur, Rajasthan, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Daman & Diu, A & N Islands, Pondicherry, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep, Andhra Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Madhya Pradesh.
Two other States viz. Maharashtra and Goa achieved elimination level in September and November 2005 respectively, bringing the total to 26 States/ UT that have attained the level.
As on 1st April 2005, there were 7 States viz. Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal with PR between 1 and 4 per 10,000 population. These 7 States with 50% of country’s population also contributed 73% of the case load.
The status on 31st December 2005 is that there are 6 States viz. Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal with PR between 1 and 3 per 10,000 population. These 6 States with 41% of country’s population now contribute 60% of the country’s case load.
As on 1st April 2005, there were 4 other States/ UTs viz. Chandigarh UT, Goa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Delhi with PR between 1 and 4 per 10,000 population. But these States/ UTs have the problem of migratory patients from neighbouring States coming for treatment in their hospitals and as such, the prevalence recorded by these State/ UTs do not represent local endemicity.
As on 31st December 2005, 3 State/ UTs viz. Chandigarh UT, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Delhi have PR between 2 and 3 /10,000 population.
Out of 596 districts in the country, a total of 337 districts (56.6%) achieved elimination level by March 2005. There were only 9 districts with PR more than 5/10,000.
As on 31st December 2005, a total of 411 districts (68.96%) achieved elimination, where as only 2 districts have PR more than 5/10,000. These 2 districts are in Delhi catering to migratory patients attending bigger hospitals.