The Maharashtra government will launch a major state-wide leprosy detection drive from November 17, under which 8.66 crore people and 1.73 crore households will be screened over a two-week period. The campaign, which will run till December 2, marks one of the largest public health outreach initiatives undertaken by the state in recent years, reported news agency PTI.
According to an official statement, the annual mass screening exercise is part of Maharashtra’s continued efforts to intensify early detection under the Centre’s National Leprosy Eradication Programme. The survey will be conducted across all districts, including rural, urban and tribal pockets, to identify “hidden or undiagnosed” cases and bring them under immediate treatment, reported PTI.
To execute the massive exercise, the state health department has deployed 65,832 teams and 13,166 supervisors. Each team will include an ASHA worker and a male volunteer. They will conduct door-to-door physical examinations, covering around 20 households per day in rural areas and 25 to 30 households daily in urban localities. The screening will be carried out for 14 consecutive days.
Officials said that any person suspected of leprosy during the survey will be examined by medical officers. Those diagnosed will be placed on multi-drug therapy (MDT) without delay, in line with global treatment protocols. MDT remains the most effective method to cure the disease and prevent disabilities associated with delayed diagnosis.
The state government said the upcoming drive aims not only to improve early detection but also to break the chain of transmission, counter persistent stigma around leprosy, and strengthen Maharashtra’s progress toward achieving the national target of ‘zero leprosy transmission’ by 2027. Public awareness, community participation and timely reporting, officials added, will be crucial to meeting this goal, reported PTI.
Ahead of the launch, the government has organised training workshops, review meetings and inter-departmental coordination sessions at the state, district and block levels. Additional training for ground-level teams is being conducted through primary health centres to ensure uniform implementation of screening and reporting protocols, reported PTI.
In a significant policy move last month, Maharashtra also declared leprosy a “notifiable disease”. As a result, all government and private doctors, hospitals and clinics must now report every confirmed case to the District Health Office, the Assistant Director of Health Services (Leprosy), and local civic health departments within two weeks of diagnosis. The step is expected to improve disease surveillance, ensure timely treatment, and plug gaps in case reporting.
Health officials said the intensified screening beginning November 17 will play a key role in understanding the actual burden of leprosy in Maharashtra and in accelerating efforts to eliminate transmission over the next two years.
(With inputs from PTI)
