Childhood leprosy: lest we forget.

Leprosy remains an important public health and social issue in South Asia, particularly in India. Its presence in childhood is an immense social burden because of the associated disabilities and widely prevalent misconceptions regarding communicability and treatment potential. The prevalence of leprosy among children suggests a possible gap in the national programmes aimed at leprosy elimination. This article reports a 10-year retrospective study of childhood leprosy in a tertiary care hospital setting (2000-2009) along with an analysis of selected socio-epidemiologic correlates. We stress the importance of early detection and the application of appropriate prophylactic measures in susceptible children.