In a significant public health move, the Maharashtra government has officially declared , aiming to curb its spread and ensure timely treatment for all affected individuals. The directive, issued through a , requires all doctors and healthcare institutions to to district or municipal health authorities.

This decision follows a Union health ministry advisory issued in May, which urged all states to make reporting of leprosy cases mandatory. The disease, caused by Mycobacterium leprae , primarily affects the , and while it is fully curable through multi-drug therapy (MDT), social stigma and delayed diagnosis remain major challenges.

The Maharashtra government has set an ambitious goal of achieving , defined as the absence of new indigenous child cases for five consecutive years an

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