Leprosy prevalence high in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, June 17 (UNI) Prevalence of leprosy is high in Chhattisgarh with two per 10,000 population afflicted with the disease, according to the Leprosy Mission.

Mission project coordinator Dr K S Toppo told newsmen here that the country has achieved the elimination level which is one per 10,000 in December 2005.

Pointing out that Chhattisgarh was among the nine states and union territories which have not achieved the national elimination level, Mr Toppo said 12,519 new patients were detected during 2005-06. Disability and deformity rate among them was 2.32 per cent while 6.7 per cent of them were children and 27.75 per cent were women.

He said state capital Raipur, Raigarh, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Durg and Korba have been identified as high endemic districts while Sarguja, Koriya, Kanker and Dantewara have been identified as less endemic districts.

Pointing out that the national leprosy eradication programme was being implemented in the state, Dr Toppo said the target was to achieve the elimination level of one per 10,000 by 2007.

Stating that the national leprosy mission objective was to promote early diagnosis and early treatment of the disease with prevention of disability, he said it also aims to develop diagnostic and treatment facilities free of cost at all health centres.

Dr Toppo said The Leprosy Mission (TLM), a voluntary organisation, has memorandum of understanding (MOU) with central as well as the state government for supporting the national programme in the state through District Technical Support Teams in all the districts.

Besides aiming to achieve the elimination level by 2007, he said efforts are being made to reach out to the difficult areas, plan and implement urban leprosy programme, make efforts for the rehabilitation of the person and family affected by leprosy and to remove deformity by reconstructive surgery.

UNI JJ SP VA BD0928