Selective Special Drive (SSD): an effective tool to promote new case detection through community participation--an experience during 2005-2010 in Mumbai slums.

As per the Guidelines of National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP), Government of India, new case detection (NCD) in leprosy is to be promoted by voluntary reporting through Information, Education and Communication (IEC). Accordingly, in addition to the routine IEC activities, Maharashtra Lokahita Seva Mandal (MLSM) carried out Selective Special Drive (SSD) in slum pockets in Mumbai since 2005-06. The SSD methodology prescribed under Leprosy Elimination Action Program (LEAP) of ALERT-INDIA was adopted which included selection of slum pockets, identification and training of Community Volunteers (CVs), door-to-door focused IEC through CVs using standard IEC material and referral of voluntarily reported suspected cases to nearby Health Posts under General Health Services or to Leprosy Referral Centre (LRC) established through MLSM for diagnosis and treatment.