Our Track Record

46 Years of
Measurable Change

From co-leading Nepal's first national MDT rollout in 1982 to achieving WHO elimination targets in 2010 and pioneering legal advocacy for leprosy patients' rights — NELRA's record speaks through numbers, policies, and lives transformed.

62,000+
Patients Treated
2010
WHO Elimination Year
480+
Field Workers Trained
46
Years of Service
NELRA receiving national recognition for leprosy work
13+
National Awards
A Legacy of Impact

What 46 Years of
Focused Work Looks Like

NELRA's achievements are not measured in events or ceremonies but in the fundamental changes the organisation has helped bring about in Nepal's public health landscape, legal framework, and the lived reality of leprosy-affected individuals and their families.

The most significant achievement — Nepal reaching the WHO leprosy elimination threshold in 2010 — is one that NELRA shares with the government, WHO Nepal, and dozens of partner organisations. But NELRA's role as the primary community-level implementing partner for MDT services across rural Nepal for nearly three decades was central to reaching that milestone.

Beyond clinical outcomes, NELRA has pioneered the rights-based approach to leprosy work in Nepal — establishing legal precedents, influencing legislation, and building affected people's organisations that outlast any single programme or funding cycle. These institutional and legal achievements may ultimately prove more durable than any medical statistic.

Only Nepali NGO to receive WHO South-East Asia Region commendation for leprosy work (2011)
Nepal's first legal brief on leprosy discrimination submitted to NHRC (2003)
Zero treatment interruptions maintained through 2015 earthquake and COVID-19 pandemic
Our Greatest Contributions

Key Achievements of NELRA

Across four decades, NELRA has produced outcomes in clinical care, social transformation, legal advocacy, and policy reform that have reshaped how Nepal addresses leprosy.

Clinical & Public Health

Clinical · 1982–2010
01

Nepal's MDT Pioneer — Prevalence Reduced by 95%

As primary community-level partner for Nepal's national MDT rollout from 1982, NELRA helped reduce Nepal's leprosy prevalence rate from 19.4 per 10,000 in 1985 to 0.9 per 10,000 by 2010 — a 95% reduction achieved over 28 years. Nepal was officially declared as having reached the WHO elimination threshold in 2010.

19.4
1985 Prevalence
0.9
2010 Prevalence
Clinical · 2015
02

Zero Treatment Interruptions Through Earthquake & Pandemic

During the 2015 Gorkha earthquake and the 2020–21 COVID-19 lockdowns, NELRA maintained uninterrupted MDT supply to all 62,000+ patients in its network. Emergency mobile units delivered 8,400 medication kits within 72 hours of the earthquake. During COVID, home delivery reached all active patients across all provinces.

8,400 Emergency Kits 72-Hour Response All Provinces Covered
Rehabilitation · Ongoing
03

Nepal's Self-Care Training Curriculum — Adopted Nationally

NELRA developed Nepal's first standardised self-care training curriculum for leprosy patients with disabilities. The curriculum — covering wound care, footwear adaptation, eye care, and physiotherapy — was formally adopted by the Ministry of Health as the national standard in 2014 and is now used by all leprosy service providers across Nepal.

National Standard 2014 MoHP Endorsed 90 Field Trainers
Outreach · 2001–Present
04

First-Ever Leprosy Services in 340+ Remote Communities

Since launching its mobile unit programme in 1986, NELRA has brought leprosy diagnosis and treatment to over 340 remote communities in hill and mountain districts that had no prior access to any leprosy service. In Karnali Province alone, NELRA was the first and only leprosy service provider until government infrastructure expanded in 2016.

340+ Communities 12 Mobile Units All 7 Provinces

Social & Economic

Economic · 2007–Present
05

3,700+ Patients Lifted Out of Poverty Through Livelihood Programmes

Since launching its first vocational training centre in 2007, NELRA has trained 5,200 leprosy-affected individuals in marketable skills including tailoring, leather craft, organic agriculture, and digital literacy. 3,700 graduates are now economically self-sufficient, with 82% employment rate within 18 months of completing training.

5,200
Trained
82%
Employment Rate
8
Training Centres
Education · 2018–Present
06

1,240 Children Kept in School Through the Scholarship Programme

NELRA's children's scholarship programme has kept 1,240 children from leprosy-affected families in school since its launch in 2018. The programme covers tuition, uniforms, books, and a monthly stipend. School retention rate among scholarship holders is 94%, compared to a 61% rate among a matched control group without support.

1,240
Scholars
94%
Retention Rate
5
Provinces

Legal & Policy

Legal · 2003
07

Nepal's First Leprosy Discrimination Legal Brief & Public Health Act Amendment

In 2003 NELRA submitted Nepal's first formal legal brief on leprosy discrimination to the National Human Rights Commission. The brief documented 340 cases of documented discrimination in employment, housing, and education. It directly contributed to the 2006 amendment of the Public Health Act, which for the first time included specific non-discrimination provisions covering leprosy patients.

340 Cases Documented Public Health Act 2006 NHRC Submission
Legal · 2019–Present
08

96 Discrimination Cases Won — Employment, Housing & Education

Since establishing its Legal Aid Cell in 2019, NELRA has taken on 124 discrimination cases across labour law, housing rights, and school access. Of the 108 cases concluded to date, 96 have been decided in favour of the leprosy-affected client — an 89% success rate. Two cases have been filed in the Supreme Court with judgements expected in 2025.

124
Cases Taken
89%
Win Rate
2
Supreme Court PILs

Recognition & Awards

🏆
Prime Minister's National Award for Public Health
Government of Nepal · 1999
🌏
WHO South-East Asia Region Commendation for Leprosy Work
World Health Organization · 2011
⚖️
National Human Rights Commission Recognition for Advocacy Work
NHRC Nepal · 2007
📚
Ministry of Health Partnership Excellence Award
Government of Nepal · 2014 & 2019
🤝
ILEP Best Practice Award — Community-Led Rehabilitation
International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations · 2018
🎓
Tribhuvan University Research Partnership Award
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu · 2022
The Work Continues

Help Write the Next Chapter

These achievements belong to the communities who fought for them, the field workers who delivered them, and the donors who believed in them. Join us in delivering Vision 2030.

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