National Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-27

National Strategic  Plan & Roadmap for Leprosy 2023- 2027:  India is still considered to have ‘endemic’ geographies, despite the National Leprosy Control Programme established in 1955. Significant progress was made with the introduction of Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) in 1983, leading to a drastic reduction in prevalence rates. By 2005, India reached the international goal of eliminating leprosy as no more a public health problem nationally, although challenges persisted in some regions. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted case detection efforts, prompting the National Leprosy Eradication Programme to develop a new strategy in 2022. The National Strategic Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-2027, aligned with global strategies, aims to interrupt transmission by 2030. Key strategies include targeted case detection, enhanced surveillance, digitalization, vaccination, and addressing antimicrobial resistance. Partnerships, legal reforms, and integrated healthcare services are emphasized. The plan pays special attention to districts to achieve zero new child cases for five consecutive years, followed by three years without any new cases to achieve disease elimination. (Reference link)