Leprosy is curable if detected on time, let’s pledge to make Cachar leprosy-free: DC Jalli

March 4: To eradicate Leprosy from the District, a comprehensive 6 months long programme has been taken up by the Cachar administration in association with District Health Department. The programme aims to identify all individuals affected with leprosy in Cachar including children. Along with the identification of patients, medicines will be provided to the patients and will ensure completion of doses to the leprosy patients.

Under the leadership of Cachar DC, Keerthi Jalli and under the guidance of Deputy Director, AIFO and NLEP (National Leprosy Eradication Programme) Consultant, Dr N. Manimozhi, this project will be organised by the Joint Director of Health, Dr Ashutosh Barman.

While sharing her reaction, Cachar DC, Keerthi Jalli said, “Leprosy is one disease which can be diagnosed by health workers and if early diagnosis is done, it can be cured fully. But due to late diagnosis of leprosy, the patients suffers from deformity of organs. Many times people fear about stigma associated with leprosy and they tend to hide the disease. Delay in treatment may prove to be risky and fatal. Even after diagnosis, patients stop taking medicine due to several causes, which also results in further spread of the disease”. DC Jalli also sought cooperation and participation of all health care providers to make the programme successful for making Leprosy -Free Cachar.

It is to be noted that leprosy is chronic infectious disease which affects mainly skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of upper respiratory tract and the eyes. Leprosy is curable and treatment in the early stages can prevent disability.

Despite India being declared “leprosy-free” in 2005, the country still accounts for over half (almost 60 per cent) of the world’s new leprosy patients. Based on the reports from all the states and UTs 2020-21, National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) said that a total of 65,147 new cases of leprosy were detected taking Annual new case detection to 4.56 per 100,000 population as against 1,14,451 cases in 2019-20.

According to the same data, a total of 57,672 leprosy cases are on record as of April 1, 2021. A total of 3,753 child cases were recorded, taking the child case rate to 5.76 per cent. Leprosy has often been reported as one of the most stigmatized diseases, however, if detected on time, most of the cases can be cured between 6 to 12 months.