The national leprosy eradication programme began in 1955 and continues today, with leprosy found across India but affecting different places to varying degrees. By 2000, 11 countries had failed to achieve the World Health Organization's target of leprosy eradication. In response, the WHO extended the deadline to 2005. India changed the name of its programme to the National Leprosy Eradication Programme in 1983, with the goal of eliminating leprosy in the country through early detection and multi drug therapy treatment of cases at home. Through various campaigns and strategies, India achieved the goal of leprosy elimination at the national level in December 2005, with a prevalence rate of less than 1 case per 10,000 people

1.  National leprosy eradication programme is
continuing since 1955. leprosy is found in all across
the country though its effect varries from place to
place.
 According to an estimate of world health
organization , at least 11 countries have failed to
achieve the target of leprosy eradication till the year
2000. therefore world health organization decide to
extend the time of achieving this target by the year
2005.
 To declare any country , ‘leprosy free’ the leprosy
rate must be below 1/10,000 population .

2.  In the year 1983 programme name was changed
to “National leprosy eradication programme” .
Its objective to remove the leprosy from the
country .at present the objective of this
programme is early detection of leprosy cases
and treating them at home with multi drug
therapy.
MODIFIED LEPROSY ELIMINATION
CAMPAIGN(MLEC), were carried out after
midterm appraisal of the programme , seen
uneven progress in the states . During the
campaign; short term training to health worker .
Increasing public awareness about leprosy and
house to house survey phase wise detect new
cases in the country were done . Such six phase
were conducted.

3.  During IVth phase (august 2002-march
2003) states were divided into three
categories
I-High endemic states (8 in number)
II-Moderate to low endemic states (14 in
number)
III-Very low endemic states (13 in number)
Along with regular surveillance activities the
Special Action Project for Elimination of
Leprosy (SAPEL) for rural areas and Leprosy
Elimination Campaigns (LEC) for urban
areas have been designed for early detection
and prompt MDT for leprosy cases.

4.  Decentralized integrated leprosy services
through GH system .
 Capacity building
 Intensified IEC.
 Prevention of disability and medical
rehabilitation and
 Monitoring and supervision.
Country has achieved the goal of leprosy
Elimination at National Level in December
2005(i.e. prevalence rate of less than 1 cases
/10,000 population ) as set by NHP-2002