Leprosy detection drive in 222 blocks

There are 32 leprosy colonies in the state, which house 10,824 people.

A house in a leprosy colony in Amravati.

Ahead of World Leprosy Eradication Day, the health department will conduct a drive in 222 leprosy endemic blocks in Maharashtra. India accounts for over 50-60 per cent of new cases every year and 1.26 lakh new cases were detected last year. Maharashtra recorded 417 new cases.

In Maharashtra, 222 tehsils/blocks have been identified or the detection drive from January 30 to February 28. The National Leprosy Elimination Programme conducts two drives every year, in February and October.

“This year too, we have planned a series of programmes and involved teams of ASHA workers, multi-purpose workers and others to visit 100 houses a day,” Dr Sanjeev Kamble, Joint Director of Health (TB and Leprosy) said and added that from April 2013 to March 2014, 16,400 new cases were detected and the figure was 18,715 in 2012-13. Surgery was conducted on 293 patients for removal of disfigurement and scars (Grade 2 disabilities). As of now, 10,770 patients are under treatment.

According to Dr Shobha Rajure, Assistant Director of Health (Leprosy), the 222 blocks have a prevalence of more than 1 case per 10,000, which is the ratio in leprosy endemic countries, according to WHO. The special campaign looks at early detection and treatment, Rajure added.

A special campaign has been planned so that early treatment can be started once new cases are detected, Rajure added.

“Besides being classified by WHO as among least infectious diseases, leprosy is not a public threat simply because the disease affects only 5-10 % of the population. It is cured through a multi-drug therapy (MDT) and the patient becomes non-infective within 24 hours of starting treatment. Disabilities occur only if the disease is left untreated for long, Dr Vineeta Shankar, Executive Director of Sasakawa India Leprosy Foundation told The Indian Express.

Early treatment is the best way to eradicate the disease. Today, leprosy is curable with MDT but there are some pockets in the country where people believe leprosy “is a “curse”, a “punishment for sins” and the result of sexual perversion. These beliefs reinforce the stigma against the patients. Despite the fact that most of the patients who take medicine are cured of the disease, they are settled in separate colonies meant for them across the country, Shankar pointed out.

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There are 32 leprosy colonies in the state, which have 10,824 people. In Pune, there are five leprosy colonies — Mahatma Phule Kusht Vasahat Solapur Road; Mahadeo Niradhar Nagar Leprosy Colony, Pimpri; Mahatma Gandhi Kusht Vasahat, Antulay nagar, Kondhwa; Minoo Mehta Kushtavasahat at Kondhwa; Anandwan Kushta Vasahat at Dapodi.

The Sasakawa Leprosy Foundation has started a sustainable livelihood programme for these families by sponsoring education of children and encouraging the youth to enroll in skill enhancement programmes. Chetan Minekar, 21, whose father has been cured of leprosy and stays in Ulhasnagar, says, “I enrolled for a technical training course in Pune and am now working as an automobile technician in Pimpri.”

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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