Leprosy

• The Central government has approved a new treatment regimen for leprosy, aiming to stop its transmission at the sub-national level by 2027, three years ahead of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
• Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to introduce a three-drug regimen for Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases in place of a two-drug regimen for six months.

ABOUT LEPROSY

• Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria.
• The disease predominantly affects the skin and peripheral nerves.

• Left untreated, it may cause progressive and permanent disabilities.
• The bacteria are transmitted via droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases.
• Leprosy, reported from all the six WHO regions, is curable with multi-drug therapy (MDT).
  • The WHO’s recommended treatment regimen consists of three drugs — dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine.
  • The duration of treatment is six months for PB and 12 months for MB cases.
  • MDT kills the pathogen and cures the patient.
  • The WHO has been providing MDT free of cost.
• The majority of new cases detected annually are from South East Asia.
• It is classified into two types for treatment purposes-
  • Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases have fewer bacteria visible and show no signs of advanced disease in biopsies.
  • Multibacillary (MB) patients have visible bacteria and may show signs of more advanced disease in biopsies.