India records 3,832 child leprosy cases 2025-26, almost double target
India is seeing a sharp jump in child leprosy cases: 3,832 were reported in 2025-26, almost double the year's target.
Some children even developed serious disabilities because their cases were caught late.
This comes as India pushes to interrupt transmission at the district level by 2027, aiming for zero new indigenous child cases for five consecutive years in every district.
India recorded 91,783 new leprosy cases
India had the world's largest number of newly detected leprosy cases in the WHO's 2025 global update (India's reporting period: April 2025-March 2026), with 91,783 cases.
The World Health Organization tracks child cases to measure how much the disease is spreading, but finding and treating everyone quickly, especially in states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, is tough.
Dr. Kabir Sardana, Professor and Head of Dermatology at ABVIMS-Dr. RML Hospital, Delhi, points out that stigma and late detection are big problems: "Data points to the fact that there is poor detection, which is why we are seeing more children with leprosy," said Dr. Kabir Sardana, Professor and Head of Dermatology at ABVIMS-Dr. RML Hospital, Delhi.
The government says it's stepping up efforts to find and help patients sooner.