BHUBANESWAR: Amid growing concern over a steady rise in multibacillary (MB) leprosy cases in Odisha, the Odisha government has decided to roll out a vaccination drive against the disease in high-burden districts to achieve leprosy eradication by 2027.
Dhenkanal and Boudh districts have been identified for the pilot phase of the drive. Subsequently, the targeted programme will be expanded to other endemic districts in a phased manner.
The Health and Family Welfare department has urged the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to initiate the immunisation programme at the earliest, considering the emerging disease pattern. People in areas with high leprosy prevalence will be administered with Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP), an exclusive vaccine for leprosy, developed in India.
The move assumes significance as statistics indicate that overall new leprosy cases may have declined compared to pre-pandemic levels but the proportion of MB cases, a severe and infectious form of the disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, has been rising consistently.
Odisha recorded 10,786 new leprosy cases in 2018-19; the case load declined to 7,349 in 2024-25. The annual new case detection rate (ANCDR) fell from 23.2 per lakh population in 2018-19 to 15.8 in 2024-25.
However, the reduction was uneven. Cases dipped sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic - from 10,077 in 2019-20 to 6,148 in 2020-21 and 5,729 in 2021-22, before showing a rising trend to 8,396 in 2023-24. The detection of 7,349 cases in 2024-25 may have reflected a marginal decline but officials admitted that pandemic-related disruptions may have led to delayed detection.
More worrying is the growing share of MB cases which accounted for 4,669 cases or 63.5 per cent (pc) of total new detection in 2024-25. The share rose steadily from 47.6 pc in 2018-19 to 48.8 pc in 2019-20 and 52 pc in 2020-21. It further increased to 57.3 pc in 2021-22, 62 pc in 2022-23 and 61.6 pc in 2023-24.
Health experts point out that rising MB proportion suggests late detection and sustained transmission in the community. “MB leprosy carries a higher bacterial load and is more likely to cause nerve damage, deformities and disability if not diagnosed early. If the trend is not reversed, the state could witness nearly 15,000 to 20,000 new cases over the next five years,” they warned.
Officials said the targeted immunisation drive in high-burden districts could help interrupt transmission chains and prevent progression to severe forms of the disease.
Additional director (leprosy) Dr Laxman Kumar Karmi said the revised identification criteria set by WHO was behind the rise in MB leprosy cases in the state and there is nothing to worry.
“We are on the right path to achieve the renewed target of leprosy eradication by 2027. The proposed vaccination drive is expected to complement ongoing multidrug therapy and active case detection campaigns,” he added.