This document summarizes a response to a parliamentary question regarding free skin health camps and dermatological care in India, answered on August 1, 2025, by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The response indicates that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare does not maintain records of skin health camps organized by the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL).
However, the government addresses dermatological care, specifically concerning leprosy, through the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), a centrally sponsored scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM). Funds are allocated to States/UTs based on their Programme Implementation Plans, needs, priorities, and absorption capacity.
Leprosy case detection activities at the block and district levels include: Leprosy Case Detection Campaigns (LCDC) involving house-to-house detection in high-risk and inaccessible zones; Focused Leprosy Campaigns (FLC) to actively detect Grade 2 Disability (G2D) cases; ASHA-based surveillance in low-endemic and remote blocks; and special outreach plans for hard-to-reach areas involving community-led case searches.
The NLEP also incorporates activities to raise awareness and reduce stigma associated with leprosy, including: Information, Education, and Communication/Behavior Change Communication (IEC/BCC) activities utilizing radio, TV, newspapers, street plays, and community events in local languages; State Level Awareness Campaigns (SLAC) conducted annually around Anti-Leprosy Day; training of ASHAs and health workers to identify and refer suspected leprosy cases; and provision of education at health centers regarding leprosy identification and dermatological care.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists: A professional organization that organized skin health awareness camps.
National Leprosy Eradication Programme: A centrally sponsored scheme focused on leprosy eradication.
National Health Mission: An overarching umbrella scheme under which the National Leprosy Eradication Programme operates.
Leprosy Case Detection Campaign: An activity under NLEP involving house-to-house case detection in high-risk and inaccessible zones.
Focused Leprosy Campaign: An activity under NLEP conducted to actively detect Grade 2 Disability cases.
ASHAs: Accredited Social Health Activists involved in surveillance in low endemic and remote blocks.
State Level Awareness Campaign: Annual campaigns around Anti-Leprosy Day to reduce stigma and promote early detection.
Anupriya Patel: The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2151
TO BE ANSWERED ON01.08.2025
FREE SKINHEALTH CAMPS
2151. SHRIDHAIRYASHEELSAMBHAJIRAO MANE:
SHRIMANISH JAISWAL:
SHRICHAVAN RAVINDRAVASANTRAO:
SHRISUDHEER GUPTA:
Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) whether Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists (IADVL)
has organised skin health awareness camps at various locations across the country making it
the largest numberof free skin healthcampsandif so, the details thereof,location-wise;
(b) whether the Government proposes to organise more such health camps in rural and far
flungs areas with connectivity issue to sustain and expand such community health
programmes to improve dermatological care across the country and if so, the details thereof;
and
(c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to spread awareness among
common people regarding dermatological care which is often not taken seriously by the
people?
ANSWER
THE MINISTEROFSTATE INTHE MINISTRYOFHEALTHANDFAMILY
WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) : Ministry of Health and Family Welfare does not maintain the details of the camps
organized by Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists
(IADVL).
(b) & (c) : The National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) is a centrally sponsored
scheme under the overarching umbrella of National Health Mission (NHM). Funds are
allocated to the programme activities under NHM on the basis of State/UT specific
Programme Implementation Plans and States/UTs are required to utilize funds as per their
need,priority andon the basis of theirabssorption capacity. Following activitiesare carried
out for leprosy relatedcase detection at blockanddistrict levelsacross allStates andUnion
Territories:
i. Leprosy Case Detection Campaign(LCDC) : House tohouse case detection inhigh
-risk andinaccessible zones.ii. Focused Leprosy campaign (FLC): FLC are conducted to actively detect Grade 2
Disability (G2D) cases.
iii.ASHAbased Surveillance inlow-endemic andremote blocks.
iv. Hard to Reach area -Special outreach plans: Community-led case search in difficult
terrains.
Under NLEP, following activities are done to generate awareness in order to reduce stigma
anddiscriminationassociated with leprosy:
a. IEC/BCC Activities: Regular awareness through radio, TV, newspapers, street plays, and
communityeventsinlocal languages.
b. StateLevel Awareness Campaign (SLAC) :AnnualcampaignsaroundAnti-LeprosyDay
toreducestigmaandpromoteearlydetection.
c.ASHAs and Health Workers: Trained to identify andrefer suspected leprosy skin lesions
inthe community.
d. Health centres provide educationregarding identification of leprosy cases among contacts
andthe dermatological care neededinpersons affected with leprosy.
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