Alarmed at the high detection of new leprosy cases in the country, the Union Health Ministry is looking for new effective treatment regime with shorter duration for the crippling disease to cut down the transmission. Incidentally, India has declared achievement of leprosy elimination as a public health problem in late 2005.
“However, ironically, cases are on the increase. There are about 209 out of 640 districts in the country where the number of new cases exceed the WHO target of less than 10 new cases per 100,000.
A senior Health Ministry official said that if timely corrective steps were not taken, all efforts initiated in the past will prove futile when the disease was brought down to a level of elimination ie less than one case per 10,000 population at the national level by December 2005.
“Community is at higher risk of being infected with the disfiguring disease. Therefore, to address these issues, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has identified the research priorities as per the current need for eradication of leprosy,” the official added.
We have already started focusing for detection of all new cases of leprosy at the earliest with active survey in high and low endemic areas. We have asked the experts to identify new effective treatment regime (2nd line therapy preferably with shorter duration) for leprosy to cut down the transmission and also for management of reactions.
“Universal MDT for treatment of all types of leprosy cases can be considered as this will also enhance compliance,” the official added.
Migratory population is a huge problem hence steps are being worked out on how to ensure that they complete the treatment as required.
Steps will also be initiated for research cum intervention project using immunoprophylaxis with Mw (MIP) vaccine for leprosy cases and their household contacts in high endemic areas, the official added. We will soon conduct studies to know the reasons (social/monetary) for persistence of leprosy colonies, issue of dismantling them and rehabilitation of people affected with leprosy (PAls).
Also, last not the least, we are also mulling to coordinate with other organization like Armed forces to find out innovative methods to tackle the problem.
As per the latest government data, the incidence of the crippling disease has been on the increase with 1,26,800 new cases having been reported in 2010-2011, 1,27,295 in 2011-12 and 1,34,752 in 2012-13 in the country.