Leprosy prevalence rate down in 2014-15 to 0.45

NEW DELHI: The prevalence rate of leprosy in the country has come down from 0.69 per 10,000 population in 2014-15 to 0.45 in 2021-22, Union minister of state for health Bharati Pravin Pawar said on Monday.

Further, annual new case detection rate per 1,00,000 population has come down from 9.73 in 2014-15 to 5.52 in 2021-22, Pawar said at an event to observe National Anti-Leprosy Day here. The theme of this year was “let us fight leprosy and make leprosy a history”.

“India is making progress and new leprosy cases are declining year after year. With the whole of government, whole of society support, synergy and cooperation, we can achieve the target of ‘Leprosy Mukt Bharat’ by 2027, three years ahead of the SDG (Sustainable Development Goal),” said Union minister for health Mansukh Mandaviya. Reiterating Mahatma Gandhi’s enduring concern for people affected with leprosy, he noted the concern and commitment to treat leprosy has its origin in our history.