3,832 children diagnosed with leprosy as India targets interruption of transmission by 2027
India reported 3,832 new leprosy cases among children in 2025-26, significantly exceeding the government's target of 2,000. The presence of Grade-2 disabilities in these cases suggests ongoing transmission and delays in early diagnosis.
Why it matters
The data indicates that India's goal of interrupting leprosy transmission by 2027 faces significant public health challenges.
India recorded 3,832 new leprosy cases among children in 2025-26, including 37 who had Grade-2 disability (G2D) at diagnosis — an indicator of delayed detection. The child caseload was 91.6% higher than the National Leprosy Eradication Programme's (NLEP) target of 2,000 cases for the year.
The figures, from the latest NLEP annual report for 2025-26, come even as India pursues the National Strategic Plan for Leprosy 2023-27, which seeks to interrupt transmission at the district level by 2027. Under the roadmap, a district is considered to have interrupted transmission after reporting zero new indigenous child cases for five consecutive years.
The NLEP's programme objectives include zero disability among new child cases and a national G2D rate of less than one case per million population. The roadmap projects 1,000 child cases and a G2D rate of 0.5 per million for 2026-27.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in