Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar today said, it is a matter of great concern that India has nearly 52 per cent of the total cases of Leprosy worldwide. Speaking on the occasion of National Anti Leprosy day in New Delhi, Dr Bharati said, that the country has a firm resolve to fight it through different interventions like the National Leprosy Eradication Plan and with the involvement of State and common citizens.<br />''<br />''She added that India is making progress and the number of new cases is declining year after year. The Minister added that the prevalence rate of Leprosy cases has come down from 0.69 per cent per ten thousand population in 2014-15 to 0.45 in 2021-22.<br />''<br />''Dr Bharati said, India has successfully nurtured the prevalence rate of Leprosy, which was one case per 1000 population at the National level in 2005. She said the need of the hour is a consistent effort towards completely eliminating this disease. The Minister said, since 2015, with a constant effort under the National Anti-leprosy, India has managed to prevent many disabilities due to Leprosy.<br />''<br />''During the event, Dr Bharati also launched National Strategic Plan and Roadmap for Leprosy 2023-2027. The aim of the Plan is to eradicate Leprosy in the country by 2027. The Minister also launched the National Guidelines for Surveillance for Antimicrobial Resistance in Leprosy.<br />