Strategic Framework

Our Plan for a
Leprosy-Free Nepal

NELRA's strategic framework defines the objectives, thematic areas, and target communities that will guide the organisation's work through 2030 — anchored in evidence, community participation, and the rights of every person affected by leprosy in Nepal.

2025
Plan Starts
2030
Target Year
5
Strategic Objectives
NELRA leadership team in a strategic planning session
Vision 2030
Zero New Disability
About This Plan

A Roadmap Built
With Communities

NELRA's 2025–2030 Strategic Plan was developed over eighteen months through a participatory process involving 240 community members across all seven provinces of Nepal, 14 partner organisations, two rounds of expert technical review, and formal endorsement by the Ministry of Health and Population. It is the most comprehensive strategic framework NELRA has produced in its 46-year history.

The plan is structured around a single overarching goal — zero new Grade-2 leprosy disability in Nepal by 2030 — supported by five strategic objectives, six thematic programme areas, and a clear framework of indicators, milestones, and accountability mechanisms that are publicly reported annually.

Critically, the plan recognises that clinical elimination of leprosy as a public health problem is necessary but not sufficient. Eliminating the social, economic, and legal consequences of leprosy — the discrimination, exclusion, and poverty that persist long after medical cure — requires parallel and equally sustained effort. Both pillars are given equal weight in this plan.

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The Five Pillars

Strategic Objectives of NELRA

Each objective is time-bound, measurable, and linked to a specific set of activities and budget allocations within the 2025–2030 plan.

01
Strategic Objective 1

Achieve & Sustain Leprosy Elimination Across All Provinces

Ensure that all 77 districts of Nepal achieve and maintain leprosy prevalence below the WHO elimination threshold of 1 per 10,000 population by 2028, with special focus on eight high-burden districts in Madhesh, Sudurpashchim, and Karnali provinces.

MDT Access Early Detection 77 Districts
02
Strategic Objective 2

Eliminate Grade-2 Disability Among All Newly Detected Cases

Reduce Grade-2 disability at diagnosis to zero among all new leprosy cases detected in NELRA's programme districts by 2030 through strengthened early case-detection, accelerated treatment initiation, and integrated wound and nerve care protocols.

Zero Disability Nerve Care Wound Management
03
Strategic Objective 3

Achieve Full Social Reintegration for All Treated Patients

Ensure that 95% of patients completing MDT treatment are fully reintegrated into their families, communities, and economic life within 12 months of treatment completion, supported by NELRA's case-management, livelihood, and counselling services.

Reintegration Livelihood Counselling
04
Strategic Objective 4

Eliminate Legal & Structural Discrimination Against Leprosy Patients

Secure the repeal or amendment of all remaining discriminatory provisions in Nepali law affecting leprosy patients, secure landmark court precedents on employment and housing rights, and establish a permanent legal monitoring mechanism by 2028.

Legal Reform Court Precedents Advocacy
05
Strategic Objective 5

Build a Self-Sustaining National Movement Led by Affected People

Develop the leadership, organisational capacity, and financial sustainability of leprosy-affected people's organisations across Nepal so that by 2030 they are independently resourced, technically capable, and positioned to lead Nepal's post-elimination leprosy response without dependency on NELRA.

Leadership Sustainability Independence
Programme Framework

Thematic Areas & Target Groups

Thematic Areas of NELRA

Six interconnected programmatic areas through which NELRA delivers on its strategic objectives. Each area has a dedicated team, defined budget envelope, and annual work plan.

Area 01

Clinical & Preventive Health

Free diagnosis, MDT dispensing, nerve function assessment, wound care, and surgical referral across 56 fixed clinics and 12 mobile units. Covers all 77 districts through a hub-and-spoke service delivery model.

Area 02

Rehabilitation & Self-Care

Physiotherapy, self-care training, prosthetics and orthotics, and home-based rehabilitation. Two dedicated rehabilitation centres in Kathmandu and Pokhara and a network of 90 trained community rehabilitation workers.

Area 03

Economic Empowerment

Vocational training, micro-enterprise support, SHG formation and federation, market linkages, and financial literacy. Programme targets 85% economic self-sufficiency among graduates within 18 months of training completion.

Area 04

Legal Aid & Rights

Free legal representation, PIL litigation, legislative advocacy, community legal education, and monitoring of discriminatory practices. NELRA Legal Cell handles 80–120 cases annually across labour, housing, education, and family law.

Area 05

Stigma Eradication & Awareness

National and community-level communications campaigns, school and panchayat sensitisation programmes, media engagement, and peer-educator networks to challenge stigma and shift social attitudes toward leprosy-affected individuals.

Area 06

Research, Data & Learning

Patient outcome tracking, programme evaluations, operational research, and academic partnerships. NELRA publishes an annual data report and maintains Nepal's most comprehensive community-level leprosy database with 62,000+ records.

Who We Serve

Target Groups of NELRA

NELRA's programmes are designed to serve specific groups whose vulnerability to leprosy and its consequences is shaped by geography, socioeconomic status, gender, age, or disability. Each group has tailored intervention approaches within the broader strategic plan.

Priority is given to groups who face the greatest barriers to accessing mainstream health services and who bear the heaviest social burden of leprosy-related discrimination — particularly women, children, and those living in remote hill and mountain communities.

Active Leprosy Patients
Currently undergoing MDT treatment
People Cured of Leprosy
Requiring reintegration support
Families of Affected Persons
Including household contacts at risk
Children from Affected Families
Education access and scholarship support
Remote Hill & Mountain Communities
High-burden, limited service access
Women with Leprosy
Facing compounded gender discrimination
People with Leprosy-Related Disability
Grade-1 and Grade-2 disability support
Leprosy-Affected Colony Residents
Segregated communities needing inclusion

Help NELRA Deliver on Vision 2030

Every rupee donated, every hour volunteered, and every partnership formed brings Nepal closer to a future where leprosy disability is history.

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