Leprosy Elimination at Country Level

Jan 19, 2010 (Kathmandu). Nepal has announced as elimination of Leprosy at national level not at district level. Government of Nepal declared Nepal as Leprosy eliminated country. Ministry of Health and Population officially announced this in an official program in Kathmandu. Elimination of Leprosy is called when there is prevalence rate less than 1 per 10,000 population. But Terai districts have not achieved the goal of elimination since Terai districts are having more than 2 per 10,000 and they are leprosy hyperendemic districs. Leprosy elimination campaign had been started in Nepal since 1954.The country had first announced 2003 as the year to eliminate leprosy from the country. Since it failed to declare the country leprosy elimination in 2003, then it aimed to meet the same target in 2005, 2007 and 2008.Lastly, 2009 had been selected as the target year.Although the WHO had set an aim to eliminate leprosy from the world within the year 2000, some countries like Nepal, Congo, Brazil and Mozambique could not meet the target.Leprosy is a disease of skin and nerves caused by bacteria, called Mycobacterium leprae.