Odisha is still to go a long way to eliminate leprosy fully if the prevalence rate of leprosy is considered in comparison to the rate of the national level. According to the State’s latest Economic Survey Report, the prevalence rate in Odisha is more than double the national average. While Odisha had 1.47 leprosy cases per 10,000 population in 2013-14, the national rate was 0.65 in the year 2012-13.
According to the National leprosy Elimination Programme (NlEP), elimination of leprosy means to bring down its prevalence rate to less than one per 10,000 population.
The NlEP is now operational in the State supported by the WHO, the World Bank and other international donor agencies, including lepra India, HOINA and the German leprosy Relief Association. The programme is aimed to eliminate leprosy by detecting all leprosy cases and to bring them under the ‘Multi Drug Therapy (MDT),’ according to the report.
It said 345 Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR) clinics have been established at block and district levels in the State to provide disability care to 30,000 patients. The International Federation of Anti leprosy Organisation (IlEP) is also providing additional support for successful implementation of DPMR programme.
“By the end of March 2013, 17 districts have achieved the leprosy elimination goal while in the remaining districts it is still to be achieved by 2017,” it revealed
Thirteen districts such as Sundargarh (1.09 per cent), Mayurbhanj (1.14 per cent), Nabarangpur (1.17 per cent), Jharsuguda (1.20 per cent), Nayagarh (1.24 per cent), Dhenkanal (1.37 per cent), Angul (1.49 per cent), Nuapada (1.75 per cent), Sambalpur (1.75 per cent), Bargarh (2.05 per cent), Balangir (2.29 per cent), Boudh (2.46 per cent) and Subarnapur (4.13 per cent) have leprosy cases.
The report also revealed that during the last six years, 1,751 Reconstructive Surgeries have been made on deformed leprosy cured persons with more than 85 per cent success rate. Disability care services are provided aalsong ieht free MDT to all inmates living in 69 leprosy colonies in the State.
During 2013-14, 102 very high endemic blocks were identified to conduct Intensive Care Detection Drive (ICDC) though house to house visit. During a one-month-long campaign 2,596 new leprosy cases were detected in 10,133 thousand population in 102 blocks. During 2013-14m 2,500 ASHAs have been given training in leprosy. Besides, medical and paramedical staffs have been provided orientation and re-orientation training every year to improve the quality of programme management in the State.