Health Ministry Hosts Workshop to Advance Leprosy-Free India Goal

The Union Health Ministry organized a two-day regional workshop in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh, focusing on strategies to achieve a leprosy-free India. The event, chaired by Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director (National Health Mission), brought together nearly 200 participants, including state health officials, WHO experts, and development partners.

India has made significant progress in combating leprosy, achieving elimination as a public health problem nationally in 2005. However, transmission persists in endemic areas, particularly in five high-priority states, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh, which account for nearly 50% of the national leprosy burden. These states also report higher prevalence rates and child cases.

Key strategies discussed included periodic case detection campaigns, expanded Single-Dose Rifampicin (SDR) coverage for post-exposure prophylaxis, and intensified contact tracing. Disability prevention and rehabilitation efforts were also highlighted, with over 1,500 reconstructive surgeries and distribution of self-care kits and specialized footwear reported in 2025-26.

The workshop emphasized evidence-based planning, community participation, and stigma reduction. State-specific action plans were formulated to address district-level challenges, with a focus on surveillance, treatment adherence, and awareness campaigns.

Participants expressed confidence that collaborative efforts by the central and state governments, technical institutions, and communities would accelerate progress toward a leprosy-free India. The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to intensify interventions in high-endemic districts.