Late nineteenth century- until the 1940s

Use of chaulmoogra oil in the treatment of Leprosy [5,6]

1940

Promin, a sulfone drug, was introduced as a treatment for leprosy [7,8]

1941

Dapsone was first used by Faget, et al. for the treatment of leprosy in Carville, Louisiana, USA [3,9]

1955

National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP) was launched in India to control the number of leprosy infection [10]

1964

The emergence of resistance to dapsone [11]

1970

Identification of Rifampicin as a new and effective anti-leprosy drug [12]

1981

WHO recommended the use of MDT [13]

1983

National Leprosy Eradication Program (NLEP)was launched in India [14]

1983

Introduction of MDT in India

1992

RO^* for 28 days (daily) [15]

1994

WHO-MDT (FDT^*-24) [16]

1995

ROM-12 for MB, ROM-6 for PB

1996

WHO-MDT (FDT-12 for MB and FDT-6 for PB)

1997

ROM-1 for 1 day (single dose) [17]

2000

WHO calls for the elimination of leprosy [18]

2005

Elimination of Leprosy in India as a public health problem at the national level in December 2005 [19,20]