Is leprosy treatment available in India?

The currently recommended MDT for PB leprosy is rifampicin and dapsone for 6 months and the currently recommended MDT for MB leprosy is rifampicin, clofazimine and dapsone for 12 months. MDT treatment is provided in blister packs, each containing four weeks’ treatment.

Is leprosy treatment free in India?

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides multi-drug therapy free of cost for leprosy treatment to all endemic countries, including India.

How much does leprosy treatment cost?

Among migrant patients, the median cost before diagnosis was $131.6 (39.2–450.9), the median yearly cost of leprosy treatment after diagnosis was $300.6 (158.4–868.5), and the median yearly cost of leprosy complications was $69.5 (11–178.4).

Why is leprosy so bad in India?

The major cause of hidden cases is low voluntary reporting in the community due to a lack of awareness as well as stigma and discrimination. The extent of stigma and discrimination is evident by the fact that 200,000 people are residing in about 750 leprosy colonies.

Is there a vaccine for leprosy?

There are two leprosy vaccine candidates, MIP in India (82) and LepVax (66), and the TB vaccine pipeline is much more advanced and diverse than the one for leprosy.

Can leprosy be painful?

If left untreated, leprosy can cause permanent damage to the nerves in the fingers, toes, hands, and feet. This may affect a person’s ability to feel pain and temperature in these areas of the body. When you can’t feel your fingers or toes, you may accidentally burn, cut, or hurt yourself.

Which is the drug of choice in leprosy?

Hansen’s disease is treated with a combination of antibiotics. Typically, 2 or 3 antibiotics are used at the same time. These are dapsone with rifampicin, and clofazimine is added for some types of the disease. This is called multidrug therapy.

Which drug therapy is used in leprosy?

Rifampicin, the most important antileprosy medicine, is included in the treatment of both types of leprosy.

Is kala azar elimination in India?

“India has a comprehensive elimination strategy and has made great strides to eliminate kala azar as a public health problem among the estimated 130 million at risk population in 54 districts of four states2 where the disease is endemic,” said Dr Roderico H.

Why is BCG given in leprosy?

The bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine, initially developed to provide protection against TB, also protects against leprosy; and the magnitude of this effect varies.

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