Tamil Nadu: A study by the Public Health Department has found that the rate of leprosy among children in Chennai has increased.
It also stated that the impact is most pronounced in areas with factories and migrant populations.
The Public Health Department conducted a study on new leprosy cases in urban areas between 2021 and 2025.
According to the study, conducted by health experts Sridevi Govindarajan, Vasanthi Thangasamy, and Dharmalingam Vedhanayagam, a total of 515 new cases were reported during this period.
In their published research findings, they stated: “It is crucial to conduct research activities to determine the incidence of leprosy per 100,000 people annually. Based on this, the National Leprosy Eradication Program can be implemented.”
In Tamil Nadu, the rate of new infections is lower than the national average. However, it cannot be denied that there are challenges in controlling the spread of the disease in metropolitan cities, especially Chennai.
Large-scale migration, population movement, and population density pose obstacles to controlling leprosy. Consequently, the incidence rate of leprosy among children in Chennai is higher than the state average.
To understand this in detail, a study was conducted based on age, gender, type of leprosy, and disability. This study was conducted separately in all 15 zones of Chennai.
We paid special attention to industrial areas and border areas of the district. A total of 515 new leprosy cases were reported in the last 5 years. The incidence rate of leprosy increased from 1.0 per lakh in 2020-21 to 1.3 in 2024-2025.
It was highest in 2022-2023, when the ratio was above 2.0. A higher incidence rate was found in six zones. Three of these are industrial zones and border districts. During that period, the incidence rate of leprosy among children ranged from 3.5 to 11.5 cases per 100,000.
In the last five years, more than 50 percent of those infected with the disease had severe infections. The study confirmed that the infection did not spread from family members or neighbors. It is suspected that this increase may be due to migrant populations. Besides routine medical surveillance and testing, special diagnostic measures are necessary.
Therefore, industries should take serious steps to prevent the spread of leprosy in the border areas of the district. The study stated that conducting testing and awareness campaigns among migrant workers is crucial.
Public health officials said: Leprosy is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae. The disease spreads from person to person through droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
It can take 5 to 7 years for the bacteria to infect a person’s body. When the immune system weakens, symptoms begin to appear. In the early stages, some areas of the skin change color and become less sensitive.
If leprosy is detected at that stage and treated with combination drugs, it is 100 percent curable. If left untreated, it can affect the skin and nerves, and cause deformities in the eyes, hands, and feet.
Therefore, if you notice changes in skin color, swelling or lumps in the earlobes, weakness in the arms and legs, crooked fingers, difficulty gripping objects firmly, itching in the arms and legs, or sores that are not healing, you should not ignore these symptoms and should report them to the health department for examination, they said.
