The national capital is set to join states such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and West Bengal by declaring leprosy a notifiable disease under the Delhi Epidemic Diseases Act. The health department has submitted a formal proposal for approval, aiming to strengthen tracking and treatment efforts across the city.
Mandatory reporting for all healthcare providers
Once notified, all government and private healthcare providers—including clinics, hospitals, and individual practitioners—will be required to report every new leprosy case to the district leprosy officer. This will facilitate early intervention and a coordinated response.
Existing notifiable diseases in Delhi
The capital already mandates reporting for several diseases under the Act, such as human rabies, cholera, malaria, COVID-19, and tuberculosis. Adding leprosy will enable effective surveillance, early diagnosis, targeted interventions, and prompt treatment with standard multi-drug therapy, which is available free of cost in government facilities, according to Health Minister Pankaj Singh.
India's leprosy burden and hidden cases
In a statement, the Delhi government noted that while India officially achieved its leprosy elimination target—a prevalence rate below one per 10,000 population—in 2005, the country still accounts for approximately 59% of all new global cases. A recent pan-India study found that over 44% of leprosy patients are managed by private health facilities and remain unreported to the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP). Hidden cases in the community continue transmission, and variations in treatment protocols raise the threat of drug resistance.
WHO recommendation and government commitment
The World Health Organization’s independent evaluation of the NLEP in India suggests that leprosy should be included in the list of diseases mandatory for notification. “Leprosy is completely curable. Making it a notifiable disease will help us find hidden cases, stop transmission, and ensure every patient gets standard treatment with dignity. This is a critical step towards honouring our commitment to a leprosy-free Delhi and supporting India’s journey towards the interruption of its transmission by 2030,” said Minister Singh.
Transforming the fight against leprosy
Mandatory notification is set to transform the fight against leprosy by enabling earlier diagnosis and swift medical intervention to prevent permanent disability. By enhancing surveillance in high-risk areas and deploying post-exposure prophylaxis through rigorous contact tracing, the policy aims to break the chain of transmission. Crucially, the move seeks to destigmatise the disease by treating it as a manageable medical condition, which is expected to improve patient compliance and align all healthcare providers towards the national goal of total eradication.
