Leprosy, a chronic bacterial infection of the skin, was declared eliminated from India in 2005. Presently, there is no active policy to fight leprosy. The house-to-house survey covered as many as seven lakh households, largely in Panvel and Mankhurd. According to sources, it took around four months — from June to September 2007 — to complete the survey.

“The survey revealed a high prevalence rate — three to nine times higher than reported — in the areas where leprosy was said to have been eliminated,” said Dr Vanaja Shetty, deputy director and senior scientist at FMR. The findings of the report were forwarded to the state health department officials as well as World Health Organisation’s (WHO) regional office.

“A population of 0.2 million in Panvel and 0.6 million in Mankurd were surveyed. According to the findings, the prevalence rate is 6.7 in Panvel against 1.3 that was quoted by the government. As many as 120 new cases were detected there. In Munkard, while the rate quoted by the government is 0.9, the study revealed it to be 2.6. Over 134 new cases were detected in this area,” said Dr Shetty.

“Since they are innocuous patches and there is no pain, the patients are not bothered to consult the doctors. These unreported cases indicate that active transmission in some areas is still prevalent,” she said.

According to private dermatologists in the city, they are attending leprosy cases but since there is no compulsion on reporting, they can’t prove the prevalence.

“We are attending leprosy patients. There is no track record of how many cases were attended by the private dermatologists. No government agency asks us to record it,” said Dr Nina Madnani, dermatologist at P D Hinduja Hospital.

“There is stigma attached to even leprosy centres treating these cases. Hence, leprosy patients especially from middle class do not wish to go to government hospitals,” she said.

“Since India is declared a leprosy-free country, there is no active policy to tackle these cases. There is no survey conducted as well due to the tag of being leprosy-free,” said Dr Shetty.