Union Health Ministry Organises NLEP Review-cum-Capacity Building Workshop to Strengthen Leprosy Control Measures and Accelerate Interruption of Transmission
Read or download the official PDF of this gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 19th August 2026. Classified under Press Release.
Executive Summary
The Central Leprosy Division of the Union Health Ministry organized a two-day National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) workshop in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on August 19–20, 2026. The event aimed to strengthen technical capacities, review programme performance, and accelerate focused actions toward achieving the Interruption of Transmission (IoT) of leprosy. Key focus areas included early detection, contact tracing, and improving the quality of case detection campaigns.
Key Points / Main Content
Strategic Goals and Surveillance
Achieve Interruption of Transmission (IoT) and reduce the leprosy prevalence rate to below 1 per 10,000 population.
Implement a "last-mile" strategy focusing on intensified surveillance, early case detection, and timely treatment initiation.
Utilize programme data to identify priority districts and high-risk areas requiring targeted interventions.
Technical and Operational Enhancements
Improve the quality and effectiveness of the Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC) to ensure better outcomes.
Strengthen "Retrospective and Reverse Contact Tracing" to identify undiagnosed cases and understand community transmission dynamics.
Emphasize disability prevention and the completion of treatment as core components of leprosy control.
Peer Learning and Community Engagement
Facilitate experience-sharing among District Leprosy Officers from across Madhya Pradesh to identify practical and replicable field strategies.
Incorporate the perspectives of persons affected by leprosy to enhance community-level action and engagement.
Utilize technical sessions led by experts from the WHO and the Central Leprosy Division to orient health officials on best practices.
Impact Analysis
State and District Leprosy OfficersImpact
Officers from all 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh received technical orientation on advanced contact-tracing approaches and data-driven prioritization of high-risk areas.
Action Required
They must identify and address implementation gaps within their districts, share best practices, and apply peer-learned strategies to improve local case detection and treatment completion rates.
National and State Health Administrators (Ministry of Health / DGHS)Impact
These stakeholders utilized the workshop to consolidate district-level strategies and align them with national goals for interrupting transmission.
Action Required
They must continue to monitor programme performance, provide technical support to districts, and oversee the implementation of intensified surveillance protocols.
Persons Affected by Leprosy and Advocacy Groups (e.g., APAL)Impact
The document highlights a shift toward incorporating the lived experiences of affected individuals into community-level implementation strategies.
Action Required
They are encouraged to provide practical insights and participate in community engagement efforts to strengthen early detection and social integration.
Key Entities Referenced
National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP): The primary national health scheme focused on early detection, timely treatment, and achieving the goal of Interruption of Transmission (IoT) of leprosy.
Central Leprosy Division (CLD): The specific division within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare responsible for organizing the workshop and overseeing programme implementation and technical capacities.
Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC): A focused initiative under NLEP aimed at enhancing the quality and effectiveness of case detection activities to bring prevalence rates below target thresholds.
Indore, Madhya Pradesh: The central location for the review-cum-capacity building workshop where field experiences from 51 districts were analyzed to strengthen last-mile leprosy control efforts.
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS): The technical advisory body providing leadership and strategic oversight for leprosy surveillance and intensified intervention strategies.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Union Health Ministry Organises NLEP Review-
cum-Capacity Building Workshop to Strengthen
Leprosy Control Measures and Accelerate
Interruption of Transmission
Workshop Brings Together Health Officials and Technical
Partners to Strengthen Early Detection, Contact Tracing and
Last-Mile Efforts for Interruption of Leprosy Transmission
District-Level Experience Sharing and Peer Learning Under
NLEP Strengthen Early Detection, Timely Treatment and
Community Engagement
प्रव तथ: 19 AUG 2026 5:25PM by PIB Delhi
The two-day National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) Review-cum-Capacity Building
Workshop commenced today in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Organised by the Central Leprosy Division
(CLD), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the workshop aims to strengthen programme
implementation, enhance technical capacities and accelerate focused action towards achieving Interruption
of Transmission (IoT) of leprosy.
The workshop brought together more than 70 participants, including the Additional Director General,
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS); Deputy Director General (Leprosy); officials of the
Central Leprosy Division; representatives from RLTRI Raipur and Aska Institute; State Leprosy Officers;
Chief Medical and Health Officers; District Leprosy Officers from all 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh;
District Consultants; technical development partners; and a representative of APAL.The deliberations focused on reviewing the epidemiological situation, assessing programme performance,
identifying implementation gaps and sharing field-level experiences and best practices. Particular
emphasis was placed on strengthening early case detection, contact tracing, timely initiation and
completion of treatment, prevention of disabilities and intensified surveillance as key components of the
last-mile strategy for interrupting leprosy transmission.
The workshop commenced with a welcome address by the State Leprosy Officer, Madhya Pradesh,
followed by a Special Address by the Additional Director General, DGHS.
The first day of the workshop featured technical sessions focusing on the epidemiological scenario of
leprosy in Madhya Pradesh, focused strategies under NLEP, improving the quality and outcomes of the
Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC), and strengthening Retrospective and Reverse Contact
Tracing.
The session led by Dr. Sunil V. Gitte, Deputy Director General (Leprosy), highlighted the importance of
leveraging programme data to identify priority districts and areas requiring intensified surveillance and
targeted interventions. Particular emphasis was laid on implementing focused strategies to bring the
prevalence rate below 1 per 10,000 population, while strengthening early case detection, contact tracing,
timely treatment and disability prevention as part of the last-mile efforts towards interruption of
transmission.
Dr. Rashmi Shukla, National Programme Officer, WHO, led a technical session on “Improving the Quality
and Outcomes of Leprosy Case Detection Campaign (LCDC)”, focusing on enhancing the quality of
campaign implementation and improving the effectiveness of case detection activities.
Another technical session, conducted by Dr. Sandeep Jogdand, RLTRI Raipur, focused on “Retrospective
and Reverse Contact Tracing”. The session provided technical orientation on strengthening contact-tracing
approaches to identify potentially missed or undiagnosed cases and to better understand transmission
dynamics within affected communities.The technical deliberations were followed by a brainstorming and experience-sharing session with District
Leprosy Officers from across Madhya Pradesh. Districts including Alirajpur, Anuppur, Barwani,
Burhanpur and Dhar shared their respective field experiences, highlighting programme performance,
operational challenges, priority areas and district-level actions being undertaken to strengthen early case
detection, timely treatment and prevention of disability.
The experience-sharing session also facilitated peer learning among district teams and provided an
opportunity to identify practical and replicable approaches for strengthening implementation. The Vice-
President of APAL shared experiences and practical insights on strengthening early case detection and
community-level action, underscoring the importance of incorporating the perspectives of persons affected
by leprosy and enhancing community engagement in programme implementation.
The two-day workshop will continue on 20 August 2026, with further deliberations and capacity-building
sessions aimed at consolidating district-level strategies, strengthening programme implementation and
accelerating focused interventions towards the national goal of Interruption of Leprosy Transmission.
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SR
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