Leprosy in India: challenges, advances and the path to eradication

The fight against leprosy has entered the crucial final phase in India, with the government's announcement of a national plan for zero transmission by 2027. Presently, leprosy has pockets of high prevalence in India and unknown transmission chains. At this juncture, we focus on essential aspects of this disease to help everyone understand the basics of the causative agent, disease prognosis, epidemiology, disease-associated societal implications and prevention strategies. Our endeavour aims to inspire novel concepts among early career researchers for combating leprosy.