The World Health Organization certified India to be leprosy-free in 2005. But over time, it has returned in several states, according to medical professionals attending the International Leprosy Congress (ILC2022) on Wednesday in Hyderabad. They emphasized the need for thorough screening to keep the spread under control and said that even though the official numbers are low and there has been an increase in the last two years due to Covid-19.

India and Nepal account for more than 60% of leprosy cases worldwide.

Dr. P. Narasimha Rao, the organizing secretary of ILC2022, stated that the ministry of health and welfare reported 1.1 lakh new leprosy cases in India in 2019, which decreased to 75,394 in 2021. While this drop may appear encouraging on paper, it suggests that nearly half of the new cases were lost and never reported.

On the same lines, Dr. Nirmala P. Moillakalva, additional district medical health officer for AIDS and Leprosy elimination Hyderabad, said the situation was similar in Hyderabad. Her research indicates that there were roughly 144 new cases in Hyderabad in 2017–18, which fell to 108 cases in 2021–22; this may be because the pandemic affected the screening of new cases.

She further mentioned that Golconda and Puranapul, in Hyderabad, continue to see a significant number of cases; hence they have enhanced their tracking system. They tracked and screened 438 contacts for 108 new cases. Two contacts tested positive for Leprosy. This extensive contract tracing helped the health authorities to administer prophylactic rifampicin to the exposed but healthy individuals.

(Source:  https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/new-leprosy-cases-see-drop-in-city-as-pandemic-hits-screening-efforts/articleshowprint/95414550.cms?val=3728)