Expressing concern over the increase in new cases of ‘lepromatous leprosy’ (the infectious kind), public health experts insist that it’s time the government revamped its leprosy control programme.
Even as India tops prevalence of leprosy in the world, the disease has been pushed down the priority list since 2005 when the Central government declared that the country had achieved leprosy elimination — a national average of less than 1 case per 10,000.
“The low national average makes the situation look good, but in reality, leprosy control has been stagnant for quite a while. After the initial success of the multi-drug therapy, it seems like the state governments lost interest in sustaining the programme,” says Chennai-based Dr S. K. Noordeen, former chief of the Leprosy Elimination Alliance for the WHO, Geneva.
“New cases of leprosy, especially in women and children are now being reported. The problem is that these people come to the hospital very late, only after the patches on the skin start spreading, their nerves get damaged and they develop ulcers. ,” laments Dr S. Elango, vice-president of the Indian Public Health Association.
“Earlier, health workers designated to the state leprosy control programme used to conduct a door-to-door surveillance to pick out fresh cases and provide medication.
Now, these health workers are entrusted with different responsibilities as leprosy has been brought under the voluntary reporting system,” he explains, pointing out that patients do not report their disease either because of fear of stigma, or plain ignorance.
Leprosy also has a long incubation period that may range from a few weeks to a few years, leaving infected people clueless about their condition.
“There is no pain, so patients ignore their symptoms, not realise that they may be transmitting the infection to others every time they sneeze or cough,” says Dr Elango.