The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that though the Government has declared that leprosy is under control, but official data shows that the incidence of the crippling disease has been on increase with 126800 new cases in 2010-11, 127295 in 2011-12 and 134752 in 2012-13 in the country.  New cases were being reported from many States and immediate steps were needed to be taken to contain them to maintain the level of elimination, i.e., less than one case per ten thousand population at the national level.

          The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights of leprosy.  Accordingly, a notice has been issued to the Secretary, Ministry of Health, Government of India calling for a report within four weeks.

          According to the media report, the National Leprosy Elimination Programme was a vertical programme run by specially trained staff under District Leprosy Officers till 2002-03, but the situation started worsening following integration of leprosy services with General Healthcare System. 

          Only 25 percent of the erstwhile vertical staff including paramedics, physiotherapist, health educator were retained with the National Leprosy Elimination Programme and the rest were surrendered to the General Healthcare System to work as multi-purpose workers and supervisors.

          The General Healthcare staff has to perform other activities and therefore providing one dedicated worker for leprosy related work was getting difficult and as a result, due care could not be provided to the persons affected by leprosy.