National Leprosy Eradication Programme and progress towards elimination of leprosy in India.

The World Health Assembly in May 1991 made the declaration to eliminate leprosy at global level by the year 2000. Complete coverage of all the districts with MDT was possible in the year 1996. Very good results were obtained and the case lead came down to 0.51 million by December 2000. A new goal has been set to reach leprosy elimination at national level in India by December 2005. The challenges to eliminate leprosy and to bring prevalence rate 0.9/10,000 by December 2005 are to be taken at epidemiological, operational and at administrative levels.