Delhi Govt Moves To Make Leprosy Notifiable Disease, All Cases To Be Reported For Early Treatment

New Delhi: In a major public health decision under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, leprosy is set to be declared a notifiable disease under the Delhi Epidemic Diseases Act. The proposal of the Delhi Health Department has now been submitted for necessary approval. This move positions Delhi among states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and West Bengal that have already made leprosy notifiable.

The notification will mandate all government and private healthcare providers, including clinics, hospitals, and individual practitioners, to report every new leprosy case to the District Leprosy Officer. This will enable effective surveillance, targeted interventions, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment with standard Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT), which is available free of cost in government facilities.

Despite India achieving leprosy elimination as a public health problem at the national level in 2005 (prevalence rate below 1 per 10,000 population), the country still accounts for approximately 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 (NLEP). Hidden cases in the community continue transmission, and variance in treatment protocols raises the threat of drug resistance. WHO's Independent Evaluation of the NLEP program in India suggests that leprosy should be included in the list of diseases mandatory for notification.

Mandatory notification will support early detection and intervention to reduce disability risk, enhanced surveillance in high-endemic and high-risk areas, prevention of transmission through timely contact tracing and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), reducing stigma and discrimination by normalising leprosy as a treatable medical condition, better treatment compliance and reduced defaulter rates, and ownership among all healthcare establishments toward the common goal of leprosy eradication.

"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 toward honouring our commitment to a leprosy-free Delhi and supporting India's journey toward interruption of transmission by 2030," said Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh, Health Minister, Delhi.

The proposed notification will be issued following the advice of the Delhi Government as per the GNCTD Act 1991. Detailed reporting formats and guidelines will be shared with all health institutions and practitioners across the National Capital Territory of Delhi.