NEW DELHI: The health department has proposed that leprosy be declared a notifiable disease under the Delhi Epidemic Diseases Act. The proposal has been sent for approval, placing Delhi in line with other states that already follow this system.
If approved, clear guidelines will be shared with all healthcare providers—government and private—and they will have to report every new case of leprosy to the District Leprosy Officer. This includes clinics, hospitals, and individual doctors.
The goal is to better track cases, detect the disease early and ensure patients receive proper treatment. The standard treatment, known as Multi-Drug Therapy, is available free of cost in government facilities.
India had officially eliminated leprosy as a public health problem in 2005, but the country still accounts for nearly 59% of global annual new leprosy cases. A recent pan-India study found that 44.1% of leprosy patients are managed by private health facilities and go unreported to the National Leprosy Eradication Programme. This creates hidden pockets of infection, allowing the disease to spread silently.
Health experts believe that making leprosy notifiable will help solve this problem. It will improve tracking, ensure uniform treatment and reduce the risk of drug resistance. The move is expected to reduce stigma as well.