The annual leprosy awareness campaign will be held from January 30 to February 13, Health and Family Commissioner G. Veerapandian said.
Mr. Veerapandian, who attended a meeting of the State Leprosy Eradication Coordination Committee at the Ministry’s Mangalagiri office on Thursday, unveiled the campaign posters. The government is following all the guidelines in line with the framework of the Union government to make the state leprosy free, he said.
Awareness programs would be conducted to remove misconceptions about the disease. Essay writing and recitation competitions will be organized for school children across the state.
Grama sabhas will be organized to create public awareness and those who have recovered from leprosy will share their journeys.
The state reported 1,824 new cases in FY 2025-26, with Vizianagaram and Parvathipuram-Manyam reporting the highest number of cases at 241 and 91, respectively.
The two are among 121 districts across India reporting more than one case of leprosy per 10,000 population.
In 2024-25, the state recorded 2,589 cases of leprosy and had a prevalence rate of 0.48 cases per 10,000 population. The national prevalence rate in the same year was 0.57 cases per 10,000 population.
Medicines are available free of cost in all government hospitals, she said, adding that depending on the severity of the disease, the government provides a pension of ₹6,000 per month to patients.
Published – 23 Jan 2026 20:04 IST
