India cannot afford to lower its guard
The recent rise — even if small — of leprosy cases in India hints that the fight against the menace is far from over. Though nearly 11 years ago, leprosy was officially declared eliminated, yet India accounts for the largest number of victims in the world today. Being ‘leprosy-free’, India has less than one person afflicted by the disease in every 10,000. An intensive leprosy detection programme conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare since March this year has found 65,000 suspected cases across seven States in the country. In 2015-2016, there were 1,27,326 cases, an increase of 1.22 per cent from last year, when 1,25,785 cases were detected.
Besides, a sample survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research from 2008-2011, revealed that there could be 2,50,000 new cases of leprosy each year in India. Meanwhile, the Government has rolled out the first indigenously developed leprosy drug called Mycobacterium indicus pranii. This drug will be launched on a pilot basis in five most vulnerable districts of the worst leprosy-affected States of Gujarat and Bihar. If this brings positive results, the Government plans to expand it to the next high-prevalence areas across the country. Currently, the Multi-Drug Therapy or MDT, as recommended by the World Health Organisation, is used for treatment of leprosy patients in India. This brings great relief to the patients by shortening the treatment period; it has registered remarkable rates of cure in the past. However, with a domestic drug in place, the National leprosy Eradication Programme arouses hope to the lakhs of patients who are in the early stages of the disease.
The most disheartening fact is that some forms of leprosy lead to permanent disability. The best way to prevent such disabilities is timely diagnosis and adequate treatment before the damage spreads to the nerves. As the disease takes an incubation period of five to seven years to penetrate, early reporting can save the patient from spreading it. For complete detection and screening of the patients, an effective door-to-door campaign may help fighting the disease. Patients suffering from leprosy faces stigma, rejection and other forms of social discrimination. There is a widespread belief that it is contagious in nature. But in reality, nearly 95 per cent of the people are immune to it. Thus, the leprosy campaigners call it ‘as the least contagious disease in the world'.
While fighting the disease, the Government must ensure that patients are not isolated and segregated in society. For this, a more sustained awareness campaign needs to be launched and societal mindsets must change. This will help the victims and their families to shed the hesitation to report the cases to the nearest public healthcare facilities. A fight-to-finish leprosy campaign must be on. And, simultaneously, more professional agencies and non-Government organisations should engage in assisting the Government in the campaign.