Safe and low cost Leprosy Treatment in India

India provides safe and low-cost leprosy treatment with advanced facilities, expert dermatologists, and effective care plans, making it accessible for patients seeking quality outcomes.

Safe and low cost Leprosy Treatment in India

  • Category

    Dermatology

  • Published By

    GetWellGo Team

  • Updated on

    25-Aug-2025

Leprosy treatment in India

Leprosy or Hansen disease is a chronic infectious illness caused by the Mycobacterium leprae. It mostly has an impact on the skin, peripheral nerves, the mucus of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes.

Treatment against Leprosy

  • Leprosy is treatable with right treatment. The WHO advises MDT that is offered free of charge in most countries.

Multidrug Therapy (MDT)

Treatment of leprosy will vary according to the type:

  • Leprosy in Leprosy-PB
  • The skin lesions are few (low bacterial load)
  • Duration: 6 months

Drugs:

  • Rifampicin once monthly (Question Therapy (question therapy)
  • Dapsone -daily (self-administered)

Multibacillary (MB) Leprosy

  • Many skin lesions, greater bacterial load)
  • Length: 12 months

Drugs:

  • Rifampicin - monthly (all taken under supervision)
  • Clofazimine - once a month (supervised) + daily (self-administration)
  • Dapsone - daily (self-administration)

Sustaining & Symptomatic Treatment

  • Corticosteroid (such as prednisolone) to relieve nerve pain, swelling, or responses.
  • Thalidomide (in men, only as a treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum - ENL).
  • Physiotherapy & protective footwear to avoid disability.
  • Nerve decompression or ulcer management and/or reconstructive procedures may require surgery.

Treatment of Leprosy Reactions

  • Type 1 Reaction (Reversal reaction): Corticosteroids are used.
  • REACTION 2 Enhancement of Localities by Total Immolation (ENL): Thalidomide (male only), corticosteroids, or clofazimine.

Prevention & Control

  • Uranium carriage prevention by early diagnosis and treatment.
  • Protection against BCG is partial
  • Frequent follow ups to check relapse or disability.

Best hospitals for leprosy treatment in India

Leprosy cure in India

The treatment is done by WHO-recommended Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) that destroys the bacteria (Mycobacterium leprae) and prevents spread. When a person goes through the treatment entirely, the infection does not reoccur (reinfection is uncommon).

Cure of Leprosy

Paucibacillary (PB) Leprosy

  • Length: 6 months

Drugs:

  • Rifampicin (once a month, under control)
  • Dapsone (taken at scheduled time each day; self-administered)
  • PB leprosy is cured after the end of 6 months of MDT.

Multibacillary (MB) Leprosy

  • Size: 12 months

Drugs:

  • Rifampin (once a month, supervised)
  • Clofazimine (once a month supervised) plus (daily dose self-administered)
  • Dapsone (once daily)
  • After 12 months of MDT, MB leprosy is cured.

Major Facts concerning Cure

  • WHO includes programs to distribute DT free of charge across the world
  • As soon as a patient is put on MDT, they cease transmission of the disease quite fast.
  • There may be disabilities or deformities already caused before treatment applied but further damage are averted.
  • Early detection and a full cycle of treatment will result in absolute recovery without any complications.

Factors Affecting Affordable leprosy treatment in India

Here’s an overview of the key factors influencing the affordability of leprosy treatment in India:

  • Availability of Free Medication & Health System Strength
  • Hidden Costs: Transportation, Income Loss & Private Care
  • Socioeconomic & Geographic Inequities
  • Gaps in Skilled Human Resources

Top doctors for leprosy treatment in India

Factors Affecting Leprosy treatment cost in India

Here is a spiced up version of the main determinants of the cost of leprosy treatment in India with evidence to support them:

Direct Costs: Diagnostics, Medications & Travel

  • Although Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT) is free in the public facilities, patients incur costs of transportation, lab tests and medicines especially in cases where patients have comorbidities.
  • Such direct costs accumulate especially when using non-governmental providers or in cases of a delayed diagnosis.

Length Indirect Costs: Income Loss and Household Productivity

  • The presence of leprosy complications, in particular Erythema Nodosum Leprosum ENL, can impose on the patients and their families the need to abandon work, hire servants or experience production losses.
  • Indirect expenses constituted 65 percent of household spending; direct expenditures were the other portion (largely on privately-paid treatment) 
  • As much as 38 percent of households suffered catastrophic health expenditure [i.e. spending exceeding 40 percent of household income] in some households.

Choice of provider in the health sector: the use of public and private providers

  • Free MDT is available in Government facilities, but a large proportion of patients choose or are diverted to spend large amounts of money on private services.
  • This difference in cost is statistically significant; more costs are paid by a patient in the private sector than in the public facilities. 
  • The barriers to accessing the public care consist of distance, mistrust, waiting and unavailability of drugs or services 

Age of Patient and Type of facility

  • Older patients as well as those seeking medical care in the private healthcare facilities are more likely to incur more costs:
  • A significant association was also seen with increased age of the patient, and use of a private facility as significant predictors of increased total costs 

Health System Weakness & Gap in the Availability of Resources

  • Well-financed and organized public health can help in lowering the cost per service and carrying out the enhancement of access.

Comorbidities and Complications

  • Majority of patients have other disorders associated with them--ulcers, hypertension, diabetes--that compound the complexity of treatment and costs.
  • In contrast, one study identified 91 percent of leprosy patients with comorbidities (e.g. neuropathic ulcers, hypertension), which increases drug and investigation expenses.

Leprosy treatment in India by GetWellGo

GetWellGo is regarded as a leading supplier of healthcare services. We help our foreign clients choose the best treatment locations that suit their needs both financially and medically.

We offer:

  • Complete transparency
  • Fair costs.
  • 24 hour availability.
  • Medical E-visas
  • Online consultation from recognized Indian experts.
  • Assistance in selecting India's top hospitals for Leprosy treatment.
  • Expert dermatologists with a strong track record of success
  • Assistance during and after the course of treatment.
  • Language Support
  • Travel and Accommodation Services
  • Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
  • Local SIM Cards
  • Currency Exchange
  • Arranging Patient’s local food
     

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