🗞️ Why in News The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) annual report for 2025-26, reported by The Hindu on 4 October 2026, records 3,832 new leprosy cases among children, 91.6 per cent above the programme’s target of 2,000, including 37 children with Grade-2 disability at diagnosis. India detected 91,783 new cases in all, the world’s largest number, as the National Strategic Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-27 seeks to interrupt transmission at the district level by 2027.
The Numbers
| Indicator (India, April 2025 to March 2026) | Value | Target or benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| New cases detected | 91,783 | |
| Prevalence rate | 0.56 per 10,000 | Elimination threshold: below 1 per 10,000 (achieved nationally in December 2005) |
| New child cases (under 15) | 3,832 | NLEP target 2,000 for 2025-26; roadmap projects 1,000 for 2026-27 |
| Children with Grade-2 disability (G2D) | 37 | NLEP objective: zero disability among new child cases |
| All new cases with G2D | 1,945 (2.12 per cent of new cases) | |
| National G2D rate | 1.34 per million population | Target: below 1 per million; roadmap projects 0.5 for 2026-27 |
The trend in child disability. Children diagnosed with G2D numbered 63 in 2019-20, 35 in 2020-21, 41 in 2021-22, 55 in 2022-23 and 45 in 2023-24 (the report’s series does not give 2024-25), and 37 in 2025-26. Each such case means a child carried the infection long enough to lose function before anyone noticed.
The global picture. In the WHO’s latest global update, India reported 91,783 new cases for 2025 (India’s data run April 2025 to March 2026), followed by Brazil (22,901) and Indonesia (16,292); the three countries account for 78.3 per cent of all new cases worldwide. India also reported the largest number of new child cases, 3,832.
Where the burden sits. Districts with a prevalence rate above 1 per 10,000: 23 in Chhattisgarh, 21 in Jharkhand, 18 each in Maharashtra and Odisha, and 10 in Madhya Pradesh.
Why Child Cases Matter
The World Health Organization (WHO) treats two indicators as signals of programme performance:
- New cases among children under 15 indicate recent transmission, because children have had little time to be exposed.
- Grade-2 disability among newly detected patients indicates delayed diagnosis: visible deformity (clawed hands, foot drop, eye damage) takes time to develop.
- Disability among new child cases signals both at once.
Under the National Strategic Plan (NSP) and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-27, launched in 2023 (on 30 January 2023), a district is treated as having interrupted transmission after reporting zero new indigenous child cases for five consecutive years. A child caseload almost double the target therefore pushes the 2027 milestone further away.
The Disease and the Programme
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cause | Chronic infection by Mycobacterium leprae (and M. lepromatosis); affects skin and peripheral nerves; spreads through prolonged close contact with an untreated person; curable with multidrug therapy (MDT), free under the programme |
| Grades of disability | Grade 0: none; Grade 1: loss of sensation; Grade 2: visible damage or deformity |
| History | National Leprosy Control Programme 1955; renamed NLEP in 1983 with MDT; elimination (below 1 per 10,000) declared nationally in December 2005 |
| NSP 2023-27 goals | Zero transmission at district level by 2027; zero disability among new child cases; G2D rate below 1 per million; zero stigma and discrimination; aligned with the WHO Global Leprosy Strategy 2021-30 and the SDGs |
| Tools | Active case detection and household contact surveys; Leprosy Case Detection Campaigns; post-exposure prophylaxis (single-dose rifampicin for contacts); Nikusth 2.0 web portal for case reporting; Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign every 30 January (Anti-Leprosy Day, Gandhi’s death anniversary) |
| Legal reform | The Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 removed leprosy as a ground for divorce from five personal laws; the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 lists leprosy-cured persons |
Analysis
1. Elimination is not eradication. “Elimination as a public health problem” (prevalence below 1 per 10,000) was declared in 2005, but about 90,000 new cases a year show transmission continues. The 2027 target is about interrupting transmission, a far higher bar.
2. Detection is the lever. Children reaching diagnosis with visible disability means active case finding, contact tracing and school screening are missing cases. Passive, facility-based detection favours those who come forward despite stigma.
3. The high-burden belt. Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh carry most high-prevalence districts: tribal, forested and migration-heavy areas where health access is weakest. The programme’s own “hard-to-reach area” plans are the right instrument but need staffing.
4. Stigma remains the silent driver. Delayed reporting follows social exclusion; legal reform in 2019 helped, though the Law Commission’s 256th Report (2015) had listed over a hundred discriminatory provisions in Central and State laws, and not all have been repealed.
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 2. Issues relating to development and management of social sector services relating to health; government policies and interventions. GS Paper 1. Social empowerment and stigma.
A question worth preparing. India declared leprosy “eliminated” in 2005, yet records the world’s largest number of new cases every year. Explain the distinction, and examine why child cases and disability at diagnosis are the right indicators for the National Strategic Plan 2023-27. (250 words)
The Mains framing. Define elimination versus interruption of transmission; cite the 2025-26 numbers; explain the WHO indicators; identify the high-burden States; propose active case detection, post-exposure prophylaxis, contact tracing, convergence with school health and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, and anti-stigma law reform.
📌 Facts Corner, Knowledgepedia
Prelims, statement-ready facts:
- NLEP 2025-26: 91,783 new cases; prevalence 0.56 per 10,000; 3,832 child cases (target 2,000); 37 children with Grade-2 disability; G2D rate 1.34 per million.
- NSP and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-27 (launched 30 January 2023): interrupt transmission at the district level by 2027.
- A district has interrupted transmission after five consecutive years of zero new indigenous child cases.
- Leprosy: Mycobacterium leprae; skin and peripheral nerves; cured by multidrug therapy; India declared elimination (below 1 per 10,000) in December 2005.
- WHO 2025 update: India 91,783, Brazil 22,901, Indonesia 16,292; the three account for 78.3 per cent of global new cases.
- Anti-Leprosy Day 30 January; Personal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 removed leprosy as a divorce ground.
Prelims, the traps:
- Elimination (prevalence below 1 per 10,000) is not eradication (zero incidence); India achieved the first in 2005, not the second.
- Grade-2 disability is visible deformity; Grade-1 is loss of sensation without visible damage.
Mains, arguments and keywords:
- Interruption of transmission; active case detection; post-exposure prophylaxis; stigma and delayed diagnosis; high-burden tribal districts; Nikusth 2.0.
Interview, be ready for:
- “Why do children still get leprosy if India eliminated it?” Elimination was a prevalence threshold; transmission continued in pockets, and child cases prove it.
Sources: The Hindu, 4 October 2026, DGHS, NLEP, WHO, global leprosy updates
Source: Child Leprosy Cases 2025-26: NLEP Data and the 2027 Transmission Goal — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
