MP to become free from leprosy

Bhopal, July 29(UNI) Madhya Pradesh is on the verge of becoming free of leprosy with the impact rate coming down to less than one per ten thousand of population.

The state has already achieved the national level target to bring down impact rate to one per ten thousand and at present it has come down further to 0.73.

After the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000, leprosy impact rate in Madhya Pradesh was 2.4 per ten thousand population. During 2005-06, there were a total of 6,850 identified leprosy patients and at present the number of those undergoing treatment was 4,937, official sources said.

Special campaigns covering all 313 development blocks are underway for identifying and treating leprosy patients.

When national leprosy elimination programme was launched in the country in 1954-55, the impact rate was between 85-90. In 1987, the impact rate was 43.4 per ten thousand population in Madhya Pradesh with a total of 1,65,238 identified patients and it came down to 2.4 after formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000.

UNI SP MQA SND1350