Leprosy eliminated, eradication next

8220;We have come a long way since 1955,8221; when the National Leprosy Control Programme was launched, Ramadoss said at a press conference on Leprosy Day. 8216;8216;Eradicating it will take a minimum of 20 years because leprosy has a long incubation period,8217;8217; he added.

India missed the World Health Organisation8217;s first global leprosy elimination target, set for 2000. In 2001 a new target of December 2005 was set for the 14 countries that had failed to eliminate the disease.

Surprisingly, Delhi, Chandigarh and Dadar and Nagar Haveli have a prevalence of 2 to 3 per 10,000 population, with two Delhi districts8212;New Delhi and Central Delhi8212;having the highest prevalence in the country at 5 cases per 10,000 population. Health Ministry officials said this could be because many outstation patients come to hospitals in the capital for treatment.

Six states8212;Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal8212;have a prevalence rate between 1 and 3 per 10,000 population. These six states represent 60 per cent of the entire case load.

According to the officials the turnaround in the fight against the disease came with the introduction of Multi Drug Therapy MDT. Besides, the the target in 2004-05 shifted from states to high and medium endemic districts and blocks, which brought focus to the leprosy elimination plan.