New Delhi, April 21 -- In a bid to eradicate leprosy by 2027, the health ministry has urged states and Union territories to implement a revised treatment regimen for paucibacillary and multibacillary cases.

As per the new plan, the government has introduced a three-drug regimen for paucibacillary cases in place of a two-drug regimen for six months, being adopted internationally.

This new drug regime includes, referred to as multidrug therapy, is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Paucibacillary leprosy is identified leprosy with one to five skin lesions, without the demonstrated presence of bacilli in a skin smear, while multibacil...