Which of the following statements about the National Leprosy Eradication Programme is true?

Haryana CHO - 2022

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: Haryana CHO - 2022

Explanation

The Government of India launched the National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP) in 1955.
The initial focus of the NLCP was on controlling the spread of the disease through case detection and treatment, primarily with Dapsone monotherapy.
This 'control' phase laid the essential groundwork for the subsequent 'eradication' phase.
This statement accurately reflects the origin of the national-level effort against leprosy in India.

Option B: The program was converted into the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) in 1983, not 2002. The year 1983 marked the strategic shift from control to eradication.
Option C: Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) was introduced in 1983, coinciding with the launch of the NLEP. The year 2005 is when India achieved the goal of leprosy elimination as a public health problem.
Option D: The number of leprosy cases has drastically decreased, not increased, since the widespread implementation of MDT. Data shows a fall from millions of cases in the early 1980s to around 75,000 new cases in 2021-22.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain History and milestones of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) in India as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the history of NLEP helps nurses appreciate the success of sustained public health initiatives and the evolution of treatment strategies from less effective monotherapy to highly effective MDT.
Nurses are at the forefront of NLEP, playing a vital role in case detection, ensuring treatment adherence, managing drug side effects (like those from Dapsone or Rifampicin), and providing health education to combat social stigma.
What if? - If the program had not shifted from 'control' to 'eradication' with MDT in 1983, the prevalence of leprosy and the rate of associated disabilities would have remained significantly higher, and the goal of elimination would not have been achieved by 2005.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question about a major national health program.
First, carefully read the question to understand that it is asking for the single 'true' statement among the options.
Next, systematically evaluate each option against your knowledge of the key dates and events associated with the National Leprosy Programme.
Recall that the program started as a 'Control' program before becoming an 'Eradication' program. This validates Option A's timeline.
Identify that the conversion to 'Eradication' and the introduction of MDT were landmark events that happened in the same year (1983), which makes Options B and C incorrect.
Recognize that the program has been highly successful, leading to a massive reduction in cases, which makes Option D incorrect.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: History and milestones of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) in India.
Stem keywords: National Leprosy Eradication Programme, true
Lead-in keywords: Which of the following statements... is true?
Negative lead-in flag: false

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