PROGRESS OF LEPROSY ELIMINATION IN INDIA

1
PROGRESS OF LEPROSY ELIMINATION IN INDIA
2
Leprosy, the disease

• Leprosy is one of the oldest diseases known to
  mankind and is a major public health problem in
  India,
• Leprosy is caused by Mycobacterium leprae. The
  disease primarily affects skin, mucous membranes
  and peripheral nerves. The public health
  importance of leprosy lies in its capacity to
  produce deformities as well as psychological and
  social disabilities.
• The reservoirs of leprosy are the untreated
  infectious category of patients. The disease
  spreads mainly by the respiratory route i.e. by
  droplets. Only about 20 of all leprosy patients
  are of infectious category.
• With Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) consisting of 2 to
  3 drugs, the infectious patients become non-
  infectious rapidly. 95 of Indian population is
  immune to the infection.
• The disease is easily cured with MDT. The
  duration of treatment for paucibacillary (PB)
  leprosy is 6 months and that for multibacillary
  (MB) leprosy is 12 months.

3
MILESTONES in NLEP in India