SRINAGAR: The Union Government has allocated Rs 113.59 lakh to Jammu and Kashmir for leprosy control activities in 2024–25 under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme, with ₹68.09 lakh already utilised, the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha.
Replying to an unstarred question by MP Manoj Kumar Jha, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said the programme is implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme under the National Health Mission and funds are allocated to states and Union Territories through their Programme Implementation Plans.
The data placed before Parliament shows that Jammu and Kashmir received Rs 74.89 lakh in 2022–23, of which Rs 24.98 lakh was spent, while Rs 80.65 lakh was approved in 2023–24 with an expenditure of Rs 22.35 lakh. The allocation increased to Rs 113.59 lakh in 2024–25, indicating a rise in programme funding for the Union Territory.
The government said leprosy remains a chronic disease with a long incubation period ranging from five to 20 years, which contributes to continued detection of cases over time. India continues to report over one lakh new cases annually, accounting for a significant share of the global burden.
To strengthen disease control, the Ministry has undertaken several initiatives under the programme, including Leprosy Case Detection Campaigns, house-to-house surveys in high-burden districts, and Focused Leprosy Campaigns to identify additional cases around newly detected patients.
The Centre also runs the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign, launched on Anti-Leprosy Day on January 30, 2017, to reduce stigma and improve public awareness about the disease.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, leprosy services have been integrated with the general healthcare system through health facilities such as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and district hospitals.
The Ministry added that state-wise and district-wise data on leprosy cases is publicly available through the Directorate General of Health Services portal under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme, enabling authorities to prepare endemicity-based action plans and targeted interventions.
