Nagpur: The district reported 902 new leprosy cases between April 2025 and December 2025, indicating a rise in detection largely attributed to intensified active surveillance, according to official data under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP). The district’s prevalence rate (PR) increased to 1.61 per 10,000 population, crossing the elimination threshold and underscoring the need for sustained public health interventions.Of the total cases detected, 690 were from rural areas and 212 from Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) limits. Health officials attributed the rise to aggressive case-finding strategies, including leprosy case detection campaigns (LCDC) and door-to-door screening drives conducted throughout the year.
Data shows that multi-vacillary (MB) cases accounted for 54.8% (494) cases of total detections, a significant indicator of delayed diagnosis. Female patients constituted 41.1% (371) cases of the total caseload, suggesting relatively balanced gender reporting under the programme. Child cases remained low at 15 (1.7%), reflecting reduced recent transmission. However, 23 patients were diagnosed with Grade-2 Disability (G2D), highlighting continued late presentation in some cases and the need for early symptom recognition.The annual new case detection rate (ANCDR) rose to 20.35 per 1 lakh population, compared to 16.2 in the previous year, marking one of the highest detection rates in the past decade. Officials emphasised that the increase reflects improved outreach rather than an outbreak, with over 99% contact examination and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) coverage achieved across the district. Under the LCDC, more than 32 lakh people were screened, surpassing population targets, while over 8 lakh households were visited. The district also reported nearly 100% PEP administration among eligible contacts, a critical step in breaking the chain of transmission. Health authorities reiterated that leprosy is completely curable with timely treatment and appealed to citizens to report symptoms such as numb patches, skin lesions, and loss of sensation early. Officials stressed that stigma remains a major barrier and called for community participation to achieve the goal of a leprosy-free Nagpur.
